


Dark Paradise: Unlimited

by Grelle



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Adult Content, Angst, F/M, M/M, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-09 16:11:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 64,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8898841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grelle/pseuds/Grelle
Summary: Adeline is just a normal, unamazing, woman. She has a normal job, a normal apartment, nothing interesting ever happens to her. Until she has a chance encounter with a hooded stranger...What starts out as an unusual friendship turns into an even more unusual romance that is tested to its limits.
{This is a re-writing of an original story I featured on Wattpad. I wanted it to be more heartfelt and descriptive.}





	1. A New Job, A Hooded Stranger, and A Knife in the Back.

 

Adeline Winter was a simple woman of 23, born in the slums of sector 5, she never expected too much from life. She was happy where she was and didn't ask for more than that, she had food to eat and a safe place to sleep, living with her childhood best friend Marree in a small apartment on the plate in the sector five. She had even managed to land a pretty decent job just a few weeks back. Decent, but unexpected job at Shin-Ra as a secretary...To the Crimson General himself. It was strange working for one of the three most admired people in Midgar. Genesis Rhapsodos was a flirtious man who seemed more comfortable in a club than a training room, at least in her opinion. In the three days since she had started she was quiet sure he made it his goal in life to make her blush and embarrass the Gaia out of her, as well as making sure she knew his favorite poem word for word. It was honestly fascinating that one person could be that completely obsessed with Loveless. Sure it was a beautiful and interesting epic, but seriously? It was like the only two things Genesis thought about were women and Loveless...It was kind of disorienting.

Adeline shook her head, her shoulder length black hair falling into her face, shadowing dark red eyes, a sigh leaving her as she tapped away on her computer. It was quieter in the afternoon, since the red headed general had already gone home, leaving her to finish up her work in peace. At the moment she was working on Genesis's schedule for the week, making amendments where needed, answering the phone if it rang. Though anyone rarely called that late, it was almost seven. Lately her boss had been busy training new recruits, leaving her to do her work calmly the past few days and give her a break from all the poetry. Glancing at the clock, the raven smiled, she would be getting off soon. She was supposed to meet Marree downstairs so they could walk home together. A daily ritual since they both got off so late in the evening.

The raven blinked, glancing at the clock on her computer screen again, smiling more widely. She reached under her desk and grabbed her bag, a simple brown number, nothing interesting. Pulling out her phone after she logged out of her computer. She noticed she had a text, checking it, she frowned. Marree had to work late...Great, she had to walk home alone.

* * *

On her way out of the building she glanced at one of the huge T.V screens, seeing that there was a conference going on out front, she veered to a side door to avoid being seen. She wasn't fond of cameras or the idea of being seen on T.V. She only half heard that President Shin-Ra was talking about the goings on in Wutai, again. It was no secret there was a war brewing again, Wutai still refused to allow Shin-Ra to tap their resources and Shin-Ra was not taking 'No' as an answer very well. It seemed a bit silly in Adeline's opinion, but then what had her opinion ever mattered to anyone? She shook her head again, she was drifting off a lot lately, she wondered if maybe there was something wrong with her. But then she had always been a bit air headed, according to Marree at least, ever since they were teens. It was raining, she noted, very lightly when she exited the building.

 She took a last look at the screen, smiling fondly at the Silver General on the right side of the President. The raven, like so many others, was a real fan of Sephiroth. Though she had a whole other reason for that. It had nothing to do with his accomplishments or his looks or even how outstandingly strong he was. Adeline began walking again, thinking back on the first time she had met the man whom she admired so well with a fond sort of smile, despite it not being a very beautiful memory.

She had been only a teenager then, living with her family and best friend in the slums of the fifth sector, it wasn't a great place but she had been happy all the same. She had her family and her friends, what more could anyone really ask for? And then it had all come crashing down around her like a chocobo who thought it could fly...Monsters had gotten loose in the sector and were killing anyone they came across. Adeline remembered cowering in her home with her parents and Marree, who had lived near by, the monsters having already attacked her house. She could clearly hear the screams of people outside in her mind, the scratching of one of the beasts at their front door. It hadn't taken long for the thing to get in either, her parents tried to fight it off, yelling at her and Marree to run...And they did, listening to her parents screams all the way out the back door and down the dark, dank alleys.

Adeline had lost Marree at some point while they had dodged down back streets and behind peoples houses, she recalled spotting a military truck and running out into the road to flag it down, hoping they would help her. But she came face to face with one of the huge beasts that had been running amuck. She recalled in near perfect detail its black eyes and grotesque claws, the raven teen honestly thought she was going to die that day.

And there he was, out of no where a flash of silver came into her vision, fighting the monster off with all the skill he was known for, even as a teen himself. She remembered easily the way the sun caught his hair and made it glow like metallic starlight and the way his eyes seemed to glitter like rare jewels....

For the third time that day Adeline shook her head, she had been wandering around for who knew how long, just remembering like an awestruck moron, she hadn't been paying any attention at all to her surroundings. The raven looked around now, feeling really stupid for just wandering around like that, though she at least wasn't far from home she noticed. Sighing heavily, she turned down a small, dark alley that she knew lead to the street her apartment was on. She didn't even know she was being followed, didn't sense the presence coming up behind her, not until her face came into contact with the moist brick wall to her left, hard enough she was sure it would bruise and more than positive the rough surface had left a scratch. Panic set in almost at once and she began to struggle, until she felt something sharp pressed against her shoulder, forcing her to freeze up instantly. Hot, alcohol coated breath ghosted her ear, making a whimper bubble up in her throat that made her feel more than a little pathetic.

"Just be quiet and do what I say and I MIGHT let you leave here alive..." Her capture said quietly, running his hands under her t-shirt. She flinched away, his hands were rough and grimy, the thought of what she knew he was likely planning to do brought tears to her eyes. Why couldn't she be stronger?! Or at least smart enough to pay attention so this sort of thing couldn't happen?!

"Let her go." The voice that cut through the still air was firm and strong, making both herself and the man attempting to rape her look up to the mouth of the alley. There stood a strong looking figure, his face hidden in the shadow of the black hoodie he was wearing. The hooded stranger started forward, one could almost feel the anger coming off him in waves, could nearly feel the flames that must have been burning in those unseen eyes. Adeline's capture chuckled, not at all bothered, clearly not afraid of this stranger. "Or what? Ya gonna fight me bare handed punk?" The man laughed, pressing the knife just a little harder in the raven girls shoulder, "I could just end this bitches life right here and you wouldn't be able to do dick about it. Or I could kill ya both, that sounds kinda fun."  The raven swallowed, she was grateful someone was trying to save her, but she didn't want this guy to get hurt either.

So Adeline did the only thing that came to mind, it was stupid, she realized, but it was better than a stranger getting hurt on her account. The raven haired girl turned, hard, swinging her arm out and nailing the guy behind her in the side of the head as hard as she could, staggering him. All at once the hooded man reacted as well, punching the guy in the gut and then delivering a hit with his elbow to the back of the guys head hard enough to knock the bastard out cold. They just stood there a moment, the rain had finally stopped, before the other man looked at her. She couldn't see his eyes, he was wearing sunglasses, of all things this late at night, but she could see the almost confused looking frown on his lips. What was he staring at, she wondered after a moment, when the silence stretched a little too long and the strangers frown deepened. "Wh-what?"

"Erm...Doesn't that...hurt?" He questioned, making her look at herself in question, she felt fine, unless he meant her cheek. But she doubted it, so what was he...oh. Crap! She spotted the knife in her shoulder blade, paling considerably, the adrenaline from a moment ago fading instantly  and the pain flooding in now that she realized what he was talking about. "Oh...Oh Gaia...!" She choked out, feeling suddenly dizzy, she braced herself on the wall or started to until the stranger with her wrapped a strong arm around her waist. "Woah there...Relax, I've got you." He said, it was only then she noticed how deep and velvety his voice was, a weird thing to notice considering the situation. "I...I hate to bother you anymore than I already have, considering...but would you help me get to the hospital...?" Adeline mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut and attempting to not think about the knife in her back or the blood or the pain...or the blood. She hated blood. The sight, the smell, it all made her feel so queasy.

The man chuckled, which she took as an affirmative and started forward, only to be picked up, of all things, bridal style in a pair of well muscled arms. Which made her blush in embarrassment, struggling a bit, "H-Hey! I-I can walk!" She pleaded, which made him chuckle again, shaking his head, "I don't want you to faint or anything...You could hurt yourself further." He replied, ending the argument easily enough. Adeline sighed, crossing her arms over her stomach quietly, trying to now ignore the added feeling of butterflies in her gut on top of everything else. "You remind me of my boss..." She muttered in annoyance, keeping her eyes turned away, so she didn't notice the smirk on the mans lips. "What's your name?" He asked, his face forward so she assumed he was looking ahead and not at her, she snuck a peak up at him, trying to see if she could catch a few hints as to what he looked like. "I should be asking you that...your wearing a hood and sunglasses, in the middle of the night no less."

"I suppose that's fair. I realize I must look rather odd...But, well my appearance tends to set people off so this is sort of nessicary." He replied calmly, which made her raise a brow, wondering what could be so unnerving. But she decided it wasn't nice to pry, for the time being, she did sort of owe him for saving her. Sighing, she replied, softly. "My name's Adeline."

"Seth, its a nickname." He answered back, smiling in a way that told her he was being friendly, though he seemed to come off a bit awkward, like he was not so experienced in normal conversation or something. The hospital wasn't far, thankfully, since the pain was getting worse. Adeline had always had an unusually high tolerance for pain, but it only went so far. She could feel sweat beading on her forehead, but held back as best she could to not appear like she was ready to cry or something.

* * *

 

Several stitches, a potion, three rolls of gauze, and a list a mile long of instructions....

"You didn't have to stay with me..." Adeline mumbled softly, blushing a bit as they walked out of the hospital, she looked up at the kind stranger. The hooded man only smiled softly in response, "None sense, you were injured and if I hadn't stayed you would have walked home alone, again. I would have felt worried..." Adeline raised a brow, stopping, she turned her dark eyes up to the other, only then realizing he was quiet a bit taller than her. "Your...worried about someone you don't even know...Why?" She asked, tilting her head slightly, honestly curious. "My friend's tell me I have a hero complex. Hmh~ This might sound like an odd request, but, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind hanging out sometime? I realize you don't know me and I don't know you, but, you see I've never seen anyone get stabbed in the back and not freak out completely. I'm intrigued by you..."

Adeline blinked, blushing so dark she was sure it matched her eyes. She couldn't deny the fact there was a certain danger factor in trusting this guy, but she also couldn't deny she was interested in him too. "Sure, why not. I'm off tomorrow anyway..."

* * *

Adeline waved goodbye to her strange new friend, going into her apartment and shutting the door behind her, it was dark inside show she assumed Marree must be asleep. That was until she was all but tackled walking out of the short hall from her door to her living room and was all but tackled, sending a shock of pain through her shoulder, "YOW! Marree let go!" She yelled, her friend giggling and bouncing all over, "I was sooooo worried! Where have you been?! You should have been back like, hours ago!" The older girl said, flipping on a light, bathing the two of them in a warm glow from a small lamp. Marree was about Adeline's height, with long brown hair and large emerald eyes. She was a pretty woman, at least Adeline thought so. The raven girl rubbed her aching shoulder, she was still wearing her ruined work shirt, the back of the white number now soaked red. "I got into some trouble is all. This nice guy helped me out." Marree, being who she was, didn't seem to notice the injury. Large green eyes turned star struck, "Aaahhh~ Did you meet your Prince Charming at last?!"

Adeline face palmed, growling a bit, "Is all you think about boys?!"

"Of course! Your getting older and need to settle down!"

"I'm only twenty-five!"

"Exactly! Ooooh~ Tell me everything!"

* * *

The next day was, well...different. Adeline had gotten up at her usual time, dressed simply, a short sleeve V-neck shirt and blue jeans, her usual sneakers. She had given Seth her number after he had dropped her off at home, so now it was just a game of seeing how long it took him to text or call...Which turned out not to be long at all. He had requested, and yes that's what the text said, that she meet him at the address in the message. She knew the place, it was a nice little bistro in district three, up on the plate. The raven girl pushed away the thought that said this was like a date, this was just getting to know someone...Being friends, nothing romantic. Marree had only got more doll eyed and dramatic after she told her what had happened, she seemed so convinced she knew who it was, gushing that she thought it was one of the Generals. There were times Adeline wished she lived alone...She loved Marree like a sister, but the older girl always seemed to be talking about the three generals, making up love stories about them and such. It was just too much at times.

The raven sighed, she was letting her mind wander again. She grabbed her bag, tossing her phone inside, she walked out of her apartment, locking the door behind her. If there was one thing she decided last night...she was going to start taking defense classes, as soon as she could afford them at least.


	2. A Socially Awkward Man, His Fear of Giant Chickens, and a Butchered Girl.

_Two months later..._

They ate lunch together, at least once a week now. It had been three months since Adeline had met 'Seth' in that alley and their rather unusual friendship had quickly become a strange routine that the raven woman was really coming to enjoy. Though she still had no idea what her new friend actually looked like, she was curious, but it didn't matter too much to her. He seemed trustworthy enough, not once had he tried anything odd, in fact he had been nothing but a gentlemen so far. More so than anyone else she had ever met.

Today was like any other since meeting Seth, they sat at the same bistro in district three, at the same table, telling funny stories about their lives. Though Seth still kept a majority of his a secret. It was a warm day, a quiet Saturday to say the least. The raven was giggling into her mug of tea, "Seriously?! How can you not like Chocobo's? Their so sweet and cute!" Adeline laughed, much to her companions dis may, he grimaced behind his sunglasses, "Cute? How is a 7 foot tall chicken with nine inch talons cute?" He replied, shaking his head, before taking a drink of his coffee. He always seemed to order coffee. "They could rip a man limb from limb easily."

Adeline only laughed more, shaking her head, it baffled her someone could be scared of a chocobo. She thought everyone liked them. A comfortable silence fell over them once the giggles subsided, the raven hummed, setting her cup down. "So...Tell me again...why won't you let me see you without the hood?" Adeline asked, not for the first time since they started hanging out, which made Seth sigh. "Listen...Please? I want you to get to know the real me, before you see who I am. It's nothing against you, its just...A lot of people choose to see what they want instead of what's the truth."

That was new, he usually wasn't so specific on his answer, just something along the lines that he unnerved people. It intrigued her all the more, but this new answer made the raven feel a bit bad for asking again all the same, "Sorry...I'll try to be patient, Heh~ My roommate keeps making up weird stories about what you look like and its starting to weird me out a little." She was relieved when the other smiled, she didn't like seeing him frown for some reason. "Like what sort of stories?" He asked, curious as to what this roommate must think of him. Adeline made a face, cheeks a little red, "Well, lets see...Last week she was convinced you must be an alien, you know with weird antennas and stuff. And the week before she decided you were a vampire out for my blood or something. Heh~ When I first told her about you she was convinced you must be one of the three generals. Of course that theory I threw out the window immediately." She replied, laughing a bit about the last theory, Seth laughed too, though she didn't notice how nervous it sounded. "Oh? Why's that?" He asked, taking a long drink of his coffee as he waited for an answer.

The raven girl shrugged, "I just don't. You don't have the right body type for anyone of them as far as I can tell. Plus your far too friendly, for at least two of them. And your not spouting annoying amounts of poetry like one of them." Seth swallowed thickly, deciding to change the subject, but she beat him to it. Much to his relief. "So where do you work?" She went on, changing the subject comfortably, suddenly feeling a little better after sharing those weird and unfounded theory's of Marree's. "Shin-Ra, where else?" He answered laughing lightly, "What about you?"

"Shin-Ra." They both laughed loudly, at this, after all nearly everyone worked for Shin-Ra. There was very little other work to do in Midgar. Since most the shops and restaurants were owned by families and didn't require help. "Haha~ Seriously though, where in Shin-Ra do you work? Are you like a Turk or something?" She asked after their laughter petered off, Seth nodded in reply, "Something like that. What about you?"

"I'm a secretary..." Adeline muttered with an annoyed sigh, which only made her friend laugh again, "Is it that bad?" He questioned her, tilting his head, "Yes. My boss is a constant flirt and seems to go out of his way to make me blush...I feel so awkward around him." Adeline complained, slamming her head on the table top, a soft groan leaving her. Seth chuckled, smiling a bit, her boss reminded him of someone. "Have you always been a secretary?" He asked, if only to change the subject, which turned out to be a bad idea.

The raven didn't lift her head, "I was a nurse for awhile...But I couldn't handle it and quiet. If it wasn't for the fact Marree and I couldn't afford our apartment without us both working for Shin-Ra I would be working elsewhere..." She replied, not offering to explain further, though Seth had a sense there was more to it. "I'm sorry..." He said quietly, looking down at his cup, feeling a little bad. He cleared his throat after a time, "Well, where are you from?"

"Sector five. I used to live in the slums there until this last three months..." She replied, not meeting his eyes, he could tell she was embarrassed. He regretted asking, thought only a little, he wanted to know more about her. "It's not that bad. I know a lot of people from there, its a fairly common place to live in Midgar." He replied, hoping to make her feel better, though he actually didn't know that many people who lived down there. It seemed to work, she looked up at him with a half hearted smile, "Yeah, I guess. What about you, where are you from?" He cursed inwardly at the question, not wanting to answer, but he did. It was only fair. "I actually don't know for sure. But I've lived in sector two for several years now." Adeline hummed softly, seeming uncertain what to say, she had a feeling it was a sore subject.

* * *

 

Days passed to weeks and weeks to months before they knew it, Adeline and Seth got closer and soon he started coming to her apartment to hang out. Marree seemed to constantly grill him about who he really was, which he always declined to answer, much to the brunette's dismay. Sometimes they would watch T.V or talk for hours about things like the news or things they liked or disliked. Like they both liked monsters movies and romantic comedies, but they also like dramas too if they were done right. Adeline's discovered Seth wasn't a very good cook, which she thought was sort of cute, since she also knew he lived alone. She could only imagine what he must eat all the time.

It was in fall that year that Seth started insisting on walking her home, Marree had found herself a steady boyfriend, which left Adeline walking home alone pretty often. She half wished she had not told Seth about it, he had immediately began asking her all sorts of questions about wither she was going to be okay walking home, he was very over protective at times. It was strange having someone so worried about her like that. It was late in the evening on a Wednesday, the sun had long since gone down and it found Adeline waiting on the steps of the Shin-Ra building for Marree. Her friend always text her if she wasn't meeting her, always, but this night she wouldn't answer her phone at all. She had called her at least twice with no reply and sent several texts. She was, for once, glad Seth was there to keep her calm. Adeline was ready to freak out.

Seth stood on the steps with her, tapping his foot, it wasn't that he was in a hurry or anything, just a weird nervous tick.  Something Adeline had gotten used over the past months, along with so many other habits she had a feeling Seth was not even aware he did. Like playing with his sleeves or tapping his fingers. "Maybe her phone's dead or she's busy with her boyfriend?" Seth suggested, turning his face to the raven girl beside him, whom barely reached his shoulder. Something her would normally have found enduring, had she not looked so worried.  Adeline frowned, not answering him at first, checking her phone one more time. She tried yet again to call Marree, but to know avail. "Something's wrong...I can feel it. This isn't like Marree, she knows I worry. She wouldn't do this unless it was serious." Her words were quiet, dark eyes staring out at the city around them, looking more than a little lost. "Lets head toward your apartment, maybe she's home already." Seth encouraged, placing a delicate hand on her back and nudging her forward. Adeline sighed heavily and nodded, maybe he was right.

The walk wasn't long, though it felt like forever before they reached the street Adeline's apartment building was on. She was immediately distracted by a crowd of people at the end of the street, less than a block form her building, which struck her as vey odd since her street was usually very quiet in the evening. She couldn't help but go and investigate, Seth close beside her. She couldn't see over the people, but she could hear their hushed voices and the words she caught made her heart race. 

'She was so young...'

'Poor thing...'

'I bet it was a monster!'

'Or her boyfriend!'

Red eyes caught the bloodied and shredded purse at the mouth of the alley first, recognizing it at once. Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach as she pushed passed the people in order to see better, only vaguely hearing Seth calling for her to stop, she felt like she was under water. Adeline's eyes looked farther into the alley, seeing the guards milling about and for just a frozen second in time, when they parted enough, she saw her...She recognized her chocolate brown hair and what was left of that pink blouse she had put on that morning...Her body was in shreds, limbs flung everywhere, some severed and others nearly so...

Screams reached her ears, she wasn't sure where they came from. He body felt nearly numb and she started to collapse, unbelieving of this nightmare in front of her. She felt strong arms pulling her back from the horrific scene, taking her from the crowd to a curb near by, sitting her down. It was only then she realized she was the one screaming, the sound breaking down into broken sobs as she pulled her knees tightly to her chest, she could fell Seth beside her, but it did little to quell the pain. Marree was dead...butchered in an alley like trash. The only person she had left that she could call family was gone, just like that...she was all alone. Adeline sobbed into her knees, it was all she could do, besides scream and beg for answers that no one would give her. This had to be a nightmare! But why wasn't she waking up from it...?!

All the while Seth held her, tried to calm her, whispered soothing things to her. Wishing he could help in some way, but he didn't yet know what. They sat on the curb, rocking to and fro for at least an hour or more, Adeline held against his chest protectively. He tried to ignore how good that felt too, this was no time to being thinking like that. They stayed there for a long time before she calmed enough to stop sobbing, leaving her crying quietly, slowly losing consciousness. She was so out of it she was unaware of Seth pulling out his cell and calling someone...She didn't even remember what happened after that. Only that she was warm and safe.

* * *

 

"Is she going to be ok?" Seth looked into the back seat, where he had layed Adeline, whom was sleeping now. He turned his eyes then to the one who spoke, and was driving them, "I hope so...I can't imagine losing your best friend like that." He replied, his own friend nodding, silence falling over them. Seth stared out the window as the world went back, thinking hard about what he was going to do now. He couldn't leave her alone, he was afraid what she might do. Not that seemed the type for rash actions, but he knew if it was himself and he had lost as much as she had, he would have been in pretty nasty shape. "Do mind going shopping with me tomorrow?" Seth asked suddenly, his friend glancing at him with a confused expression, "This really a good time for shopping?"

"I think I know what I'm going to do."

"Alright, you want me to call Gen?"

"Yeah, I think it would be better with him around."

"By the way, I'm assuming correctly she still doesn't know who you really are, aren't I?"

Seth did not reply, staring out his window pointedly, not wanting to answer. "I'm...afraid to. What if she rejects me when she finds out? I like having her around Ang." His friend made an amused sound, "I understand that. But if she's really your friend then she'll accept you either way."

"I guess your right."

 

 


	3. A New Apartment, Her Dirty Minded Boss, and A Touching Funeral

Adeline woke in a large, soft, warm bed. The room around her was dimly lit, the only light snaking in through the blinds that were lowered over the large windows. The petite girl sat up slowly, the sheets and duvet pooling around her lap, rubbing her eyes and looking around the neatly kept room. She could tell by the furnishings the owner was not poor, by a long shot, everything looked expensive. Very, very expensive. In fact it looked so much so that it made her uncomfortable, she didn't want to touch anything, felt like she was not worthy. Her crimson eyes caught sight of something on the nightstand, a note? It was short, scrawled out in neat hand writing and at the top was her name. She picked it up and read it softly to herself, heart fluttering a little.

_Adeline,_

_If your reading this then I have already gone to work, don't worry about going in yourself I called your boss and explained everything, he's giving you as much time as you need off. I took the liberty of stopping by your place and getting you some cloths, I hope that's alright? They should be in the chair in the corner, feel free to use the shower and make yourself at home. Call me if you need anything._

~ _Seth_.

Adeline set the note back on the nightstand, looking around the room once more, she spotted a duffle bag in a chair near by. She slipped out of the warm bed, her bare feet meeting finely carpeted flooring, which she took an odd moment to enjoy. Her apartment had carpet, but it was old and pretty warn out. For a moment she thought of her own apartment or more accurately of Marree, knowing she wouldn't be there when she went home. It...hurt. But somehow she didn't cry this time, now that she was over the initial shock. She felt numb, just like she had after her parents died. Shaking her head, she walked to the duffle bag, she couldn't really recall how she had gotten to Seth's apartment, though she knew it was obviously Seth had brought her, it was unnerving not remembering either way. Opening the bag, which sure enough had several articles of her clothing within. She smiled, in an oddly fond way at noticing Seth had only picked out things that would be for lounging around ones house, he had made sure she had nothing she could wear to work. He must have guessed she would have gone in anyway if he hadn't, he really knew her too well. It was funny that in the few months they had been friends he had picked up on her so well.

He was smart, very observant.

She gathered up a loose black t-shirt, V-neck like most of her shirts, and shorts. A shower was much needed after last night. Adeline took a long, hot, shower. Allowing the heat to sooth her tense muscles, relax her as best she could be under the circumstances. She supposed, under normal circumstances, she would have been freaking out to be in someone's expensive apartment, using their bed and their shower. Especially since those things belonged to a man, whom was much taller and stronger than her. But, she trusted Seth, after all he had never done anything forward or beyond just trying to be a good friend.

She stepped from the shower, drying and dressing, she stepping back out into the bedroom as she towel dried her hair. She stood there a long time, just thinking, not embarrassed that her mind was wandering. After all she was alone and there was no one around to judge or jump her. She wondered what she would do now, she wouldn't be able to afford her apartment any longer. She would most likely have to move back to the slums, a thought that made her stomach turn. Would Seth still want to hang out after that? Adeline bit her lip, maybe she could find a cheaper place on the plate? Surely hers wasn't the cheapest the plates had to offer, but then again her and Marree had searched months for that apartment.

  
The raven walked out of the bedroom, deciding to get something to eat, maybe it would help her think better. She ran a hand through her still damp hair, walking into the opening kitchen, half heartedly looking around the place. Everything was clean, very clean. It made Adeline wonder if Seth was ever actually home or if he avoided it, it seemed so strange for the apartment to be so...sterile. Making a sandwich, she ate at the counter, staring off in thought. She would need to arrange Marree's funeral. The thought sort of lingered there, hung like a dark cloud over her head. It was a thought she never in a million years might be a real thing, it brought the tears back. Her friend deserved a really nice funeral, she had been such a kind and carefree person. The raven's breath caught on a sob that bubbled up, leaning against the counter before sinking to the floor. She stayed there a long time, sobbing softly all alone.

* * *

 

When Seth returned to the apartment he was a little surprised to find Adeline asleep on his couch, he had half forgotten she was there, it had been a long day of paperwork and phone calls. It did not escape his notice how pale she looked, he feared she might be getting sick, but then she had been through something pretty traumatic. He only hoped his little plan would bring her back to herself, he hated seeing her so broken, he was secretly making arrangements to move his raven haired friend in with him. He knew he was being forward by doing so, but he didn't want her to be alone or move back to the slums. So this was the best option. Though he would have to get used to finding someone else in his home, since he had lived alone for years now, since he was a teen in fact. Before that he had lived with the man who was supposed to be his father, but the guy was nothing more than a sick psychopath. He avoided him at all costs.

"So where are we moving this stu-MMPH?!" Seth slammed a hand over his friends mouth, ignoring a chuckling out in the hall, "Be quiet, Ok? Adeline still doesn't know who I am and I don't want to startle her." He chided, glaring at his red headed companion, before glancing at another raven with them. These two were his best friends, ever since joining SOLDIER as a boy. "Don't worry Sephiroth, I'll keep Genesis quiet. Lets get the office cleared out so the movers can bring in the bedroom set you ordered when it arrives." The raven man said just loud enough the three of them could hear, he was the oldest of them, smarter and wiser in Sephiroth's opinion. The silver general smiled beneath his hood, "Thank's Angeal...It's this way." He said, leading the two past the sleeping girl on his couch and down the hall to the office across from his bedroom.

"So, Sephiroth..." Genesis asked once they were in the office and starting to box up the belongings there, his back to his friend, though he glanced at him over his shoulder with a devilish smirk. Sephiroth did not look up from the papers he was boxing up, scanning over them to be sure they weren't expressly important. "Yes, what is it?" He replied, glancing up briefly, before focusing on the task at hand again.

"When did you start banging my secretary?" Genesis asked, laughing when a paper weight was thrown at him, dodging so it hit the wall with a load crash. Sephiroth was beat red at the question, ready to yell at the red head, but another sound made them all freeze a moment. The softest whimper drifted into the room from the living room, followed by the sound of something shifting on the black leather couch out there. After a few minutes, when he was sure Adeline was asleep again, he shot a glare at his friend from behind his sunglass, a thought occurring to him. "She's ** _YOUR_** secretary?" He asked, he had know, of course, that she was a secretary in the Shin-Ra building, but he hadn't know for who.  "Yup, has been for months. She's a doll, isn't she?" Genesis chuckled softly, teasing his friend, oh how he loved to get a rise out of Sephiroth. It was normally so rare to see the silverette flustered, he was always so good at keeping a stern composure.

Sephiroth narrowed unseen eyes, "Are you aware she was almost raped in an alley because she was walking home alone, in the dark. Because her schedule has her getting off so late?" He pointed out, knowing full well that it was Genesis's fault, now. Though he did not regret that chance encounter with the raven girl, it still made his blood boil thinking about it. The red head made a face, "Uh...whoops?"

Angeal rolled his eyes, "Why don't we take the desk out first? Its the heaviest thing in the room." The older man suggested, deciding he best change the subject before a fight started. The other two nodded, walking over to the cleared off desk. Sephiroth took one end and Genesis the other, Angeal staying on the side to keep it balanced. "Alright, I'll take lead." Sephiroth said, backing toward the door with the desk, straining a bit, having not realized it was so damn heavy. "Okay...just...hold on a second, I need to-AGH!" The silverette stumbled backwards as they came into the living room, losing his grip, flinching at the loud sound the desk made.

*BANG* *CRASH*

"Dammit Gen! I told you to hold on!" He yelled at the red head, losing his temper, biting his lip only after he realized what he had done. He prayed they had not woken the girl on his couch, he wasn't sure how hard a sleeper she actually was. Apparently she wasn't...

Red eyes fluttered softly, an annoyed sound leaving her as she turned onto her side slightly, throwing her right arm up over her face. Adeline was not fully awake, she was groggy and irritated at being woken from such a deep sleep, so it took her a moment to notice it was unusually quiet all of a sudden. She hummed, sitting up with her arms behind her, she didn't notice anything unusual. So what had woken her up, she swore she had heard a commotion, maybe someone in another apartment? From her position she was facing the open kitchen and the French doors that lead to the dining room, a large set of bay windows beyond that and one of the two bathroom's she had found. Looking to her right she saw the door to the apartment, which was closed, a little table next to it for keys and such and to her left was the TV. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Adeline narrowed her eyes at the scene in front of her again, unaware at that moment there were three nervous men watching her. Nor was she aware her hair was a mess about her head and her t-shirt had ridden up a bit in her sleep, revealing a small expanse of her stomach. Or that her shorts had fallen just enough to reveal the tip of a scar on her right hip. She was completely unaware of all of these things until...

"She's even hotter when she's relaxed! Oh Gaia, I bet she looks even better after a night of love. I can see why your so obsessed with her!"

She knew that voice...that pervy attitude with which it was spoken, that weird lyrical lit that curled the words in the air like the poetry the speaker was so obsessed with. Behind her a babble of voices broke out, the sounds of a small argument, but she paid that little mind. Slowly the raven girl turned her head, one eye twitching slightly, you could almost see the sweat drop on the back of her own head and the gloom clouds lifting about around her. Dark, slightly confused, red eyes landed on the three men who froze when they were spotted. One she knew was Seth by his hoodie, which was up as always, the other two....? The dark haired one she had not actually met before,but she had seen him on T.V plenty of times, Angeal Hewley, the Black General. The red headed one was obvious, Genesis Rhapsodos, the Red General and her boss. Genesis was in a choke hold from Seth, whose face was turned mostly away. She felt like she was missing something very important...

"Mr. Rhapsodos....? Why...are you here?" She asked, it seemed the easiest question to ask, as she turned so she was seated on the couch properly. The three men stood up the correct way, Seth letting Genesis go, who merely smirked and wiped pretend dust from his person. "I was helping a friend move a few things." The answer was simple and seemed normal enough, but it only succeeded in making Adeline narrow her eyes farther and look between them, Seth kept his face turned away. She knew there was something she wasn't catching on to...but....what was it...?

"Seth...What's going on...?" She asked slowly, her mind beginning to grasp what she might have missed, "How do you know General Rhapsodos and General Hewley?" She asked, voice soft, hollow and starting to rise with a nervous feeling.

Seth sighed heavily, looking at his two friends for help, Genesis only laughed. Angeal crossed his arms over his muscled chest, "You should tell her the truth. It's only fair." The elder male told him sagely, the red head nodded in agreement, "Yeah, its not like your going to be able to hide it if your moving her in." Seth grimaced at Genesis, wanting to slap him, he was not ready to tell her that yet! He had wanted to break the idea in slowly!

Adeline's brows shot into her hairline, "What?!" She stood up, looking like an animal cornered by a predator, had she heard that correctly. She didn't really have time to focus on that in the end, Seth distracted her by speaking, walking toward her as he did so. "Adeline...Please, just stay calm. Ok?" He sounded uncertain when he spoke, like he knew she was going to freak out no matter what he did. He took a steadying breath, like he was preparing for a battle.

Reaching up he pulled off his sunglasses and pulled down the hood he wore, long silvery hair cascaded down to his hips, bright blue-green eyes looked down at her in a way that said he was worried. For the briefest moment she couldn't help thinking Seth was rather handsome, "Ha...ha...you look a lot like...Sephiroth...Oh Gaia~!" That's what she had missed...that little connection that seeing Genesis and Angeal should have given away. The three of them were close friends, that was no secret to the public, the three generals had joined and risen in the ranks of SOLDIER together, from when they were young, like really young!

Her mind put it together for her as she looked between the three. Seth did not just **_look_** like the Sephiroth. Seth **_was_**  Sephiroth Masamune, the silver general and the man she owed her life to. Twice, apparently. Nothing could have prepared her for that and nothing could make her feel guiltier than her own reaction to this newly discovered knowledge. She panicked, for lack of a better way of putting.

Adeline felt her face heat up, face as red as a tomato, this was a horrifying realization for her in that moment. She was suddenly very aware of how she must look, having just woken, hair a mess, clothes way less than presentable. Standing in front of three of the most powerful, and sexy, men in the world. A small noise left her, like the squeak of a terrified mouse, her legs moving of their own accord. She walked straight to the afore mentioned bathroom and slammed the door behind her, pressing her back up against it, her heart pounded so loudly in her chest she was certain it could be heard for miles.

"That went well." Genesis smirked, which earned him a smack to the back of the head from Angeal, who gave him that look that said 'This is not the time!' Sephiroth stood there, in the middle of his living room, staring at the bathroom door he knew Adeline was behind. His expression was flat, the emotions pushed down, as he often pushed them away instead of facing them. A very unhealthy habit he knew would likely bite him in the ass one day. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over to see Angeal beside him, "She's probably just confused...Don't give up so easily my friend."

"He's right, try talking to her." Genesis added, coming up on his other side, giving him that encouraging smile of his, one only there when he was not being an ass, before pushing him toward the bathroom door. The silverette looked at his two friends once more, before putting on a brave face and walking to the door, knocking gently.

"I-I'm fine...Just g-go away!"

Sephiroth sighed heavily, looking back at his friends again, whom motioned to the door again and mouthed 'Go on' in unison. The youngest general turned back to the door again, trying to pick his words carefully, "Adeline...Please, this was why I kept my face hidden. I'm still the same person whose been hanging out with you at the bistro and watching late night monster movies even though we had work the next day..." He tried, tilting his head a bit, his long hair falling around him like metallic curtains of star light. He knew all this was not the most opportune timing, she had already gone through a lot, he could only imagine what she felt like now. Losing one of her best friends and finding out the other was famous, not to mention close friends with her boss.

On the other side of the door the smaller raven was seated on the floor, knees pulled to her chest and her head buried in them. She lifted her head a little at his words, she knew he was right, but it was hard to believe she had been with Sephiroth that whole time! That he had tried to rescue her in that alley or that he had stayed with her in the hospital that night and walked her home after. That he had been in her crappy little apartment! She felt her heart clench a little, thinking of Marree, she would have been so thrilled. She could just imagine her dancing around and screaming 'I told you so!' at the top of her lungs. She forced the sorrow back, not wanting to cry again, not now.

"B-but...why? Why would you want anything to do with me? I'm...ordinary and your..." She trailed off, trying to think of the right word to describe the silver haired man, "I'm just a normal person like you, Adeline. Hasn't these last months proved that?" He added, she could almost hear the hopeful smile in his voice, which made her smile too. He was right, she was being silly getting so upset like this. He was still the same old goofy Seth who hated Chocobos. She sighed, standing up slowly, she glanced at herself in the wall length mirror and grimaced. She looked a fright, she thought as she wiped her face a bit.

Adjusting her clothes and running a hand through her hair helped, but it did nothing for how pale she was or the dark circles around her eyes from crying the night before and earlier that day, still it was better than nothing. Swallowing her fears and nervousness as best as possible, she was facing three generals after all, she turned and grabbed the door handle. Taking a calming breath, letting it out, she opened the door. Sephiroth was directly on the other side, almost stumbling into her as she opened the door, he had been listening for her against the door. Cute. The raven blushed softly, looking up at the silverette who straightened, her red eyes shy, noting the blush on his cheeks. Why was she being shy? This was just Seth. And why was he blushing like that?

Sephiroth smiled a little, relief obvious in his features, "So...we need to talk." He started, which she interrupted, "Yeah, about what Genesis means by us living together?" She replied, crossing her arms in a hotty manner, cocking her slim hips slightly, her expression going from nervous and shifting to something like a cross between accusing, annoyance, and curiosity. "I appreciate the thought, but I can't afford to live here. I could barely do a forth of what this place costs, let alone the bills." She pointed out, Sephiroth smirked, glad she was back to herself, at least for that moment. "You don't need to worry about that, I can more than handle the bills." He replied, moving to sit on the couch, feeling awkward standing in the bathroom door to hold this conversation. She leaned against the door from, raising a brow, face turning red. "I am not staying for free!" She replied firmly, looking away, "I am not going to be a charity case, not to you to anyone.

Sephiroth made a face, he had not meant to offend her, but he clearly had. "I didn't mean it like that, Adeline, please. I just...I'm worried for you. That's all. I care about you and I can't imagine you all alone in that apartment." The raven seemed to soften at the words, looking over at the silverette staring at the floor between his feet, he was leaning on his knees. "I..." She couldn't answer at first, because if she were being perfectly honest with herself, she didn't want to go back there alone. Nor did she want to go to the slums. But she couldn't bring herself to staying some place for free, for any length of time. "Alright, but I'm staying for free. I'll...I'll clean house or something, cook maybe, Gaia knows you cant." She replied at last, smiling a little when he looked up at her, seeing the relief in his features.

* * *

 

The next day Adeline took on the task of arranging Marree's funeral. Which was extremely stressful, there was so much to go over, and the bill was outrageous. She refused to tell Sephiroth what it was when he met her at home after he got off work. She had also dropped by her old place that day to gather a few of her belongings, like her pictures and clothes, stuff she cared about. She did tell him that the funeral was in two days, it seemed a little rushed, but is was the best the funeral home would give her.

The days up to the funeral were, calm, at least to her. Sephiroth made it a point to keep her distracted, so her had insisted on Genesis and Angeal coming over as well. It helped, it reminded her she was not alone after all, that she had other friends. She made even more knew friends too. Angeal brought over his protégé, a hyper young SOLDIER cadet named Zack, who reminded her very much of a puppy. He made her smile though. He was a lot like Marree had been, full of life.

The day of the funeral came on a cold, rainy morning. Adeline was surprised the Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal insisted on coming, along with Zack and a blonde boy she had not yet met. Zack had introduced him to be Cloud, whom she found out was aspiring to join SOLDIER someday and was close with Zack. It warmed her that so many had showed up to Marree's funeral, she only wished they could have known her like Adeline had. Afterward they all ended up at this little bar, drinking and talking about their lives, telling funny stories and just trying to move on. Well it was more like they were helping Adeline move one, which she appreciated. Marree had not been the type to be sad. So she knew her friend would not have wanted her to stay sad either.

 

 


	4. Three Generals and One Kitchen Equal Burnt Cake.

Living with Sephiroth had so far proved...Oddly normal. He wasn't a mutant or an alien or anything and he was just the same as he had been since she met him, even with Genesis and Angeal coming over pretty frequently things remained perfectly normal. Just friends living their lives, day by day and week to week. It was actually fun spending time with them, they made mistakes, joked and laughed like ordinary people...they were all just unusually good looking and ungoddly strong. In fact Angeal and Genesis proved to be wonderful friends to Adeline, they, like Sephiroth, were more than willing to give advise, hang out, have fun, they treated her like she had been part of their little group from the beginning. She even grew pretty close to Zack and Cloud, Cloud more so she felt. He reminded her of herself in a weird way, like a long lost brother of some sort. In fact she hung out with Cloud every now and again alone, the two of them just talking about what it was like to know such famous people and feel...well normal about it.

  
Cloud she felt would be a great SOLDIER one day, he was filled with big dreams and all the honor that SOLDIER was known for. He also shared a secret with her, one that came as a bit of a surprise, that he actually liked Zack as more than a friend. But he was too shy to tell him. Adeline wished she knew how to help, but she had never really been in a relationship before.

Genesis had stopped being so flirtious around her, though he did not stop teasing her till she blushed, especially when Sephiroth was around. He loved teasing them both, saying how cute they were together or asking when they were finally going to make things official...It usually earned him either a smack or getting something thrown at him. Or both. Neither her or Sephiroth seemed to want to be more than friends. Not that Adeline minded, but she couldn't help but wondered what it would be like, if they did end up in a relationship like that.

Time passed and before Adeline knew it, it was winter, her birthday was coming up. She had not told any of her friends when it was, she refused to, she was not one for celebrating. She had always been too poor to anyway, so what was the point in even bringing it up? So when Zack and Cloud had asked her to go run errands with them on a particularly cold November day, she had thought nothing of it and agreed happily.

* * *

 

Sephiroth was at home, Genesis and Angeal with him in his kitchen, when the red head turned to him. "Have you ever even made cake before Seph?" Gen asked, raising a brow from across the counter, Angeal was working away at chopping carrots and such for a stew. The raven glanced up at his friends briefly, particularly Sephiroth down the counter from him, smirking, but not laughing aloud at his appearance. The silverette was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, along with a cooking apron, already covered in flour and other dry ingredients. It was undeniably comical to see the hero of the Wutai war a mess like that. Sephiroth looked up from the cook book he had propped up against the little ledge that separated his cooking space from his breakfast bar, shooting the red head a glare, "What does it matter? Surely its not that hard?" He replied, going back to trying to follow the instructions, ignoring both his friends chuckling. "Aren't you afraid Adeline will walk in? It won't be much of a surprise if she does..." Angeal commented, seasoning the stew, glancing at the younger man behind him as he was facing the stove now.

The silverette smirked devilishly, "I sent her on a wild Mog chase with Zack and Cloud, I told them to keep her busy until eight." He replied, fighting a chuckle that escaped anyway. Genesis laughed at this as well, trying to imagine Zack, hyper, peppy, little Zack keeping mostly serious, Adeline busy all day. He felt a little bad for Cloud, that poor kid was getting dragged around with them in the snow.

* * *

 

At around five Adeline was starting to get irritated, it was cold, it was snowy and so far they had been to twelve shops looking for some sort of materia that Zack really needed for his training. Cloud wasn't talking much and couldn't even tell her for sure what Zack was after, she assumed cause he was not yet in SOLDIER. And no one seemed to have this mystery materia.They had ridden the train three or four times, taken a cab twice and done enough walking to soak her shoes through to her socks. "Zack...Seriously? Its freeze! Can we go back now? I'd really like a hot bath, my feet have gone numb and I can't feel my face." She complained to her continuously over happy companion, whom only laughed at her, stopping to do squats for like the hundredth time that day while they talked. "Tired so soon? Haha~" He replied, grinning at her, his spikey hair glistening with fresh snow. "Zack, I'm not an enhanced super soldier. I'm a secretary that sits most the day, I don't do a lot of exorcise." She pointed out in annoyance, crossing her arms over her chest, reaching up to fiddle with her scarf. "She's got a point Zack, maybe we should take a break?" Cloud piped in softly, looking between his friends, standing the closest to Adeline. His spikey hair was much like Zack's, weighed down in fresh snow. "Oh come on! Its only five. We just need to check a few more places." Zack replied, not fazed, he grinned and started to walk on.

The shortest of the three glared, sighing, "I'm going home Zack. Find the thing yourself, I am not getting sick over this. I have a job I need to go to tomorrow." She said firmly turning toward the direction the apartment she shared with Sephiroth was, determined to go home. Zack made a face and ran out in front of her, trying to stop her, he had to walk backwards in front of her. "H-hey, come on, just a few more shops and-"

"Nope. I'm going home."

"But-!"

"No, Zack."

"Come on-"

"No."

Zack stopped, letting her pass, she didn't see him freaking out behind her. He fished his phone out, sending a warning text to Angeal. Cloud covered a small laugh, he had wondered when Adeline would have enough, she was patient, but it only went so far. She was a very stubborn person when she wanted to be.

* * *

 

Angeal looked up from the pot he was stirring, feeling a buzz in his pocket, he pulled out his phone to check it. Behind him Genesis and Sephiroth were arguing over a very burnt looking cake, they were debating on trying again. "Better ice that thing. Their on the way back." Angeal interrupted them, "WHAT?!" They yelled in unison, before moving to quickly pull out the blackened cake and salvage what they could of it. Genesis went to work making the icing, while Sephiroth tried to pry the cake from the pan. "I-I forgot to grease the pan!" He growled, biting his lip and shaking the pan upside down, hoping it would come free, which it did. In two pieces and a lot of crumbs. Sephiroth paled, cursing. Genesis turned to see and cursed himself, "You broke it?!"

"I didn't mean too!"

  
And the yelling match started all over again. Though they at least managed to try and put the cake back together...

It was less than thirty minutes before the front door opened, Zack and Adeline's voice's drifting in to the darkened apartment as they continued to argue. The young cadet was attempting to slow her down, but it was useless, she was not going to stop. Cloud stayed back a little, trying to hold back his laughter. At least till the lights flared on and a sudden chorus of voices startled the raven girl nearly to death.

"Surprise!"

Came the voices of three general's, holding a very hap-hazardly put together cake that declared 'Happy Birthday' across it in messy lettering that was trying to drip off. Adeline blinked, a hand over her racing heart, eyes wide. "H-How did you guys even know! I never told any of you!" She mumbled in shock, all four men in the room chuckled, though it was actually Angeal who answered. "Shin-Ra keeps personal files on everyone in their employment, I have the authorization to look into them so I looked up your birthdate. Sephiroth wouldn't stop bugging me about it." Sephiroth's face turned a shade of red, his teal eyes shooting a quick glare at his older raven friend.

"You...did all this for me Seth?" She asked softly, having never been able to really break herself from using that nickname, looking up at him with most vulnerable and confused eyes he had ever seen, his throat clogged. She looked so innocent in that moment, it made his heart skip a shuttering beat. It took him several moments to reply, clearing his throat thickly, "With some help...I just...wanted to be able to celebrate something like this with you."

"That's...thanks Seth, everyone." Adeline felt the tears in her eyes, looking away to try and hide them, she wiped her eyes on the back of her arm. "Well now, lets not get all emotional! I saw we eat." Genesis said, breaking the heavy air with a lightness only he could come up with. Everyone agreed with a small chorus of laughter, moving to the dinning room with the cake and stew that Angeal had made, a small pile of gifts already on the table. Which succeeded in making Adeline emotional all over again. No one had ever treated her so special.

  
After eating the guys insisted she opening the gifts, much to her embarrassment, she felt so strange. Genesis, being himself, insisted his be opened first. To no ones surprise the gift was a copy of Loveless. The raven made a face, looking at the small, pale pink book and then back at the red head. Clearing her throat, she thank him, setting it aside. Next she opened Zack's, which was a new cellphone. She got confused over this, "Um...Zack I already have a phone, why...?"

He smiled brightly, "Its a special Shin-Ra issued phone, normally only the higher ups and those in SOLDIER get those. Since you spend a lot of time with the generals I thought it was only appropriate." He explained, no one asked how he had managed it though. Adeline smiled softly, "That's...actually pretty thoughtful. Thanks Zack."

  
Next was Angeal. He got her a sweater in a nice shade of...black. Of course. That seemed to be a them with all of them, the copious amounts of black. She thanked him none the less, chuckling a bit, she needed on anyway. She opened Cloud's next, he got her, of all things a tasor. She blinked at the small black device, "I know Sephiroth mentioned you get off work late a lot. I-I know he walks you home a lot, but I thought it might come in handy just in case."

Adeline hugged the blonde, "Thanks Cloud, really." She told him, smiling as she pulled back, he was only a few inches taller than her. Turning back to the table, she sat back down, the last gift was Sephiroth's. She couldn't help being a little excited, pulling at the silky red ribbon that held the small black box closed. Opening it, she discovered a picture frame, a very nice one made of shiny black wood carved with swirling patterns. It wasn't the frame, but the picture inside that brought tears to her eyes. It was a picture of all of them together. The room was quiet a moment, before Sephiroth spoke, his voice gentle. "I thought you could use this. I wanted you to remember that your never alone, that there are a lot of people who care about you."

  
Adeline stood and walked over to him, hugging him, "Th-thank you, Seth. That...that means a lot to me."  Silence fell among the crowded room for a long time, before Zack decided to break it, feeling awkward. "So, who thinks they can out drink me!?"

Adeline laughed, "Oh your on big man! I owe you for dragging me around all day!"

* * *

 

Later...

Zack and Cloud walked side by side through the quiet, snowy streets. The raven clearly more than a bit tipsy as he leaned on his shorter blonde friend, "That was great~!" Zack drawled, laughing to himself, "Didn't you think so? Heheh~"

"Y-yeah..." Cloud agreed, blushing a little when Zack leaned on him more, almost falling over. "AH! Woah, c-careful!" Zack only laughed louder, pushing off the blonde to try and walk on his own, "Ahh~ I love you little Chocobo~" He said cheerfully, not seeing the look Cloud gave him. "Y-You do?" He assumed Zack meant him, it was not the first time the raven had called him a Chocobo, having stated when they first met that it was what his hair reminded him of. Cloud walked closer to his drunken friend, trying to ignore the way his heart was racing, biting his lip softly. "Of course I do, your my best friend!"

Cloud tried not to look disappointed when Zack turned to look him, shaking his head with a half hearted smile, "What's wrong? You look sad spikey..."

The blonde swallowed, smiling a little wider, "No, just a bit tired. Come on, we should get back to the barracks."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays Everyone!


	5. A Date With a Spider.

This was it. This was the day he was going to ask her. He had reserved a table at the nicest restaurant in Midgar, had bought a whole bouquet of the nicest flowers he could find, which was a challenge considering plant life didn't grow around or in Midgar. Or at least he had not thought so, he had been very fortunate to run into a girl selling these lovely white and yellow flowers. He had also found a very lovely necklace, that doubled as a materia bracer, which he had equipped with a summon materia just for Adeline. It had taken him weeks to hunt it down, having to pull a lot of strings. Up till now he had taken everything slow up till that point, very slow. From the first time they met at that bistro he had felt a connection to Adeline and the feelings had only grown over time. But had not wanted to scare her off. So he waited and waited and today was the day. He had worked up the courage all week, stored it away and tonight he would ask Adeline to dinner.

The silverette had come home early in order to get ready, taking a quick shower to wash away the sweat and grim from training the recruits, picking out something appropriate to wear. A black button down shirt and slacks to match, a nice pair of shoes, he left the top two buttons of his shirt open. Sephiroth had never been one for feeling constricted. He even brushed his hair back, hoping it didn't look too strange.

Teal eyes looked up to his bedroom door, sharp ears catching the sound of the front door opening and closing, a smile spreading across his lips. She was home! He felt his heart beat pick up, the tell tale butterflies erupting in his stomach, he was getting nervous. But he was not backing down, he would see this through! "I don't know why, but Genesis let me off work early today. Its not like him to be so nice when it comes to work." He hear Adeline call out, she knew he was home, most likely cause his keys were on the table by the front door. He smirked and started out into the hall but paused, seeing something abnormally large skitter across the floor, blinking he went to try and find it. He followed the small, dark thing into the kitchen and when he cornered it he choked, feeling his muscles freeze up. There was not a whole lot in the world that bothered Sephiroth, it was a really short list of things he avoided, one of them was Hojo...others were Turks, raving fans, and Chocobos....The last thing on the list could be qualified as a phobia, if you didn't count Hojo as one....

He stared, wide eyed at the large thing on his kitchen floor, that was now weaving side to side and looking at him as if ready to attack. He took a step back, ready to bolt, he needed to call somebody...an exterminator...Angeal...just someone to kill it! He took another step and almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a familiar voice behind him, "Wow, thats a huge spider!" The silverette turned slightly to see Adeline, stammering a bit, he cleared his throat. "Erm, yeah...I-I was just about to kill it...." He replied, forcing a smile, he turned to the creature again, wracking his brain for how to kill this thing, only to realize it was gone. He cursed, softly under his breath, looking around for it cautiously. "Looks like it got away, sorry." Adeline said softly behind him, looking around herself a moment, before walking out of the kitchen. "I didn't think you got bugs that size up on the plate. That's sort of funny. We used to see ones twice that size in the slums." The raven commented, walking to the couch.

Sephiroth sighed, almost relieved to not have to deal with that now, he turned and followed the raven girl. "So what's got you all dressed up?" She asked, sitting on the couch, sipping at a glass of water he had not even realized she had gotten while in the kitchen. He cleared his throat again, calming his nerves and tapping into that stored courage, "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that." He started, feeling the heat on his cheeks, he nearly couldn't speak when Adeline raised a brow at him in question. By Gaia she had beautiful eyes...He shook himself mentally, focusing on what he wanted to say, "I was wondering if you would join me for dinner?" He managed at last, smiling hopefully, patiently awaiting her reply.

Adeline, at first thought nothing of the request, after all they had eaten out together plenty of times. But she took into account the way he was dressed, the soft pink ting to his normally pale cheeks, how he seemed so suddenly hopeful like this was some sort of important event. She felt her own face get hot, realization hitting her like lighting to an innocent tree in the middle of a field, "Is...is this a date?" She asked uncertainly, feeling suddenly very awkward. Her own stomach a mess of fluttering feelings, heart pounding.

Sephiroth cleared his throat, for like the millionth time in the last hour, nodding. "Yes, Adeline. I'm asking you out on a date." He clarified, realizing he probably should have mentioned it earlier. He felt his courage failing when he saw how suddenly nervous she was getting, afraid she might be about to say no. He was relieved instead, when she slowly nodded. "A-Alright...Um...I need...Erm....I need to change then." She stammered quietly, fidgeting a little, before standing and rushing to her bedroom.

Adeline slammed the door behind her, she felt like her heart it was beating so hard it was going to burst from the exertion...she was also curtain her stomach had been carried off by the flock of butterflies that had exploded in it. The raven couldn't believe this was happening, she was about to go on a date with Sephiroth, was she insane? Maybe a little. But she was actually thrilled, she couldn't deny she liked the man, even before knowing who he really was she had thought to herself 'This is a man I could spend a lifetime with.'

He was considerate, kind, the right sort of protective without being overbearing. Not to mention very easy on the eyes...He was every girls dream man. And Adeline was going on a date with him! She nibbled her lip, but what did she wear?! She rushed to her closet, searching for something worthy of such a thing as a date with the Silver General himself. This proved more difficult than one would have thought, she had stripped most the clothes from her closet in no time. She frowned deeply, not sure what to do. But a thought occurred to her. She shouldn't be thinking of him like the Silver General, it wasn't fair to Sephiroth. She smiled softly to herself and glanced over her clothes again, before settling on brilliant red dress, it showed off just enough of her nearly none existent chest to make it seem like she actually had one without seeming too much or too flashy. The fabric was soft and fell just past her knees, showing off her long legs, picking a good pair of heels, she rushed to the bathroom to fix her hair. Moving fast enough Sephiroth didn't have a chance to get a look at her, leaving him blinking at the flash that had gone by, he had not been aware she could move like that. She looked at herself in the mirror, running a hand through her hair, recently she had let it grow out a little. Instead of the short bob it once had been it now fell to just past her shoulders in loose ringlets, it looked a little messy like this, but in a good way.

Once she felt like she was presentable she walked to the door, hesitating a moment, was this a good idea? They lived together after all. What if it got awkward? What would they do then? Or what if Sephiroth found he didn't like her anymore or something? She started to mentally panic, but took a deep breath, "I can't live afraid of everything." She told herself firmly, opening the door and walking out to join her date.

Sephiroth looked up when the door opened, heart skipping a bit, throat closing. She was beautiful. The silence stretched on and Adeline grew nervous, fiddling with one of her curls, "Ah, um...t-too much?" She asked, looking away, "Maybe I should try something else?" She asked uncertainly, surprised when Sephiroth was in front of her suddenly. He hesitated a moment when she looked up at him with those red eyes of hers, probably the only eyes that could make him freeze that way, "I think you look perfect."

Adeline smiled softly, face beet red, she nodded. Together they left the apartment, walking quietly to the restaurant, neither really sure what to say to the other. When the reached the place the raven only grew all the more nervous, especially once they were seated and the place grew so quiet. The only sound was the awed whispers of the patrons there. No doubt wondering who the gutter rat was with Sephiroth. She couldn't help feeling like trash amongst so many upper class people, who was she to them? "I got you these, I hope you like them." The silverette's voice distracted her, made her look up from where she was glaring a hole in the table, eyes wide and curious. She blinked at the flowers he held out to her, wondering where he had been hiding them. She smiled softly, taking them, "Their lovely, but where on Gaia did you find these? I didn't think flowers grew near Midgar..."

"I got lucky. Mhm~" He replied with a bright smile, which faltered when a flash came from somewhere in the restaurant. He shot a glare around them, trying to discover the source. He was used to the pictures when he was out in public like this, but it annoyed him when people could not have the respect to at least leave him be when he was clearly trying to enjoy a date. The awkward silence continued again, both of them looking off, trying to think of something to say to the other. "I'll ruin you image." Adeline said suddenly, hands folded in her lap, eyes on the table again. At lease the silverette assumed so, her hair was hiding them. He frowned at the words, leaning forward a bit, "What would make you think such a thing?"

He heard her sigh, watched her shake he head, "I mean...look at me...I don't fit in here. Among these kind of people...I'm nobody. Just gutter trash..."

Sephiroth's eyes flashed darkly, angry, but not at her so much as what she thought of herself. "You are not trash. Your one of my best friends and I...well I...I lo-!" He was cut off from his words by their waiter, whom he shot a dark, withering look. The man flinched, stammering out their wine selection for the evening. The silverette bite back his annoyance, ordering them one he thought Adeline might like, he knew she preferred sweeter wines. The waiter scurried off, leaving them alone again. Teal eyes turned to unexpectedly meet red ones, Adeline was looking at him again, question mixed with sorrow in her eyes. Did she really feel unworthy? He tried to speak again, but found it hard to get the words out this time. He could take down behemoths, but not tell a girl how he felt. So much for being the perfect SOLDIER.

"Adeline, you shouldn't care what these people think." He said at last, smiling gently, "Genesis, Angeal, Zack, Cloud, me...We only see you for yourself Adeline. I see the girl I met in that alley that took down a thug unarmed."

The raven blushed, "Yeah, with your help." She pointed out, slumping her shoulders after a moment. "I guess your right...I...I'm just nervous." The silverette smiled a bit more easily now, glad she was relaxing. "Your not the only one." He replied, reaching across the table and touching her arm, a silent request, which she complied to by placing her hand in his. Her heart racing, "Adeline I...I want you to know that I..." He was again cut off when the waiter appeared, the man stammering an apology to them, before proceeding to pour, and spill, their wine.

Both of them looked at the man like he was an idiot, before a soft sound left Adeline, which quickly turned into full blown laughter. The rest of dinner lightened up considerably. The holding up light conversation, much at the sake of their bumbling waiter. Afterward they walked slowly home, stopping at the square near their apartment to sit at the fountain quietly. They sat facing each other, holding each others hands, the raven looking at their hands with fondness.

Adeline looked up at the other, shifting a little, she could feel the blush on her cheeks. Sephiroth was staring at her. She redden more, face surely the color of her eyes now. What was he staring at? Did she have food on her face? She wondered, wanting to turn to the fountain near them and check her reflection, but a hand stopped her. She felt her heart skip a soft beat, Sephiroth's hand was rested gently on her cheek, feeling like it fit so perfectly there. The raven started to ask what was wrong...She was hushed almost at once by the most perfect pink lips in all of Gaia pressing against her own. Now she understand what it meant when people said they could feel sparks. Her whole world seemed flipped on its head, broken up and put back together with the most perfect glue. She felt so right there, with those gentle lips pressed to hers. She felt like she was on fire, the world around them fading out and leaving just them and this kiss and that moment. She felt a strong arm around her waist, pulling her against an equally hard and muscled chest, deepening their kiss. Adeline swore she saw fireworks. She didn't even notice the necklace Sephiroth slipped about her neck, she didn't have a chance to, when their perfect bit of heaven came crashing down around their ears by the most disturbingly frightening hushed voice she had ever heard.

"Well well, so this is the girl I've heard about. Aren't you going to introduce her to your father, Sephiroth?"

Adeline jerked back from the silverette, head whipping around to look at the man who spoke. The man that strode slowly toward them was tall, thin and sickly looking, but no doubt strong. He had long black hair, pulled back in a pony tail that could not hold it all as much of it had escaped around his sunken face. He wore round glasses in front of dark, coal colored eyes. Adeline felt something off about this man, the feeling growing only stronger when she looked to Sephiroth, saw the cold, dead look in his eyes and the frown on his lips. The silverette stood, stepping slightly in front of her, "Seth...who is this?" She asked softly, shaking a little now, feeling a sense of danger.

"Yes, 'Seth', tell her who I am." The man demanded, smirking in a way that could only be snake like, eyes on the silverette. They held challenge. Silence dragged on for a bit longer, before Sephiroth at last spoke, "Adeline...this is Professor Hojo, he works in the science department at Shin-Ra. He's my...father." The silverette never took his eyes off the man, not once, but even still she could hear and see the shame in him at acknowledging this fact. "That's right. Now then, I want to know your girlfriend's name, after all, as a father I want to know everything about my son." The creepy man said, striding closer, ignoring the protective way Sephiroth moved, like he was ready to strike. But he didn't, he stepped aside when Hojo brushed him out of his way, reaching out and taking Adeline's left hand in his own, bringing it close to him with a smile, nearly jerking her of the side of the fountain with the motion. "Tell me young lady, what's you name then? My son can be so very rude."

The raven girl swallowed, feeling like her skin was crawling when this man touched her, she found it so hard to believe this was Sephiroth's father. He was nothing like him, not even a little. "Adeline...Adeline Winter...Its...um...nice to meet you, Professor." She replied at last, glancing at Sephiroth, who has his back to them, like he didn't want to face this.

* * *

 

The rest of the evening was quiet, the two of them parting ways with Hojo not long after their little meeting. Adeline couldn't help a shudder when she thought back to the last thing that man had said to her, 'We'll be seeing much more of each other.' She wondered what he meant by that. Sephiroth had not said much about it and when they got home he went straight to bed without a word. She wondered what sort of relationship he had with his father.

Later that night, long after Adeline and Sephiroth had parted ways to sleep, the great general was awakened in the middle of the night by something other than nightmares. He felt something tickling his bare chest, since he normally only slept in night pants, his teal eyes fluttered. What in the world...? He flipped on the light on the stand next to his bed and looked down to see what had woken him.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!"

Adeline shot straight up in bed, hearing a distant and extremely loud and terrified scream some where in the apartment. She jumped out of bed, dressed in a slightly oversized t-shirt and black shorts, she darted out into the hall. "Sephiroth?!" She called out, running to his bedroom, the door was open slightly and she could see the light on, she was about to knock on the door when he yelled. "GET IT OFF!!!!" Adeline pushed open the door, she would have laughed had the silverette not seemed so panicked. She grabbed the nearest thing to her, which was a book, rushing over she smacked the huge spider off the mans chest with enough force that it splattered a bit on the wall, hitting the floor dead. "Oh my Gaia, are you alright?!" She asked, dropping the book, she turned to the other.

Sephiroth was panting, looking as if he had seen a ghost, he turned wide eyes to her. "I...hate...spiders..." Was his reply, she couldn't help herself...she laughed...and he ended up joining her.

 


	6. Remnants of the Past

_11 years earlier..._

It was spring, early spring. Sephiroth, being only fifteen, still lived with his father within the Shin-Ra headquarters. Hojo seldom let the young teen out of his sight, wanting to keep constant control over him and his progress. Though he told the boy it was out of worry, not that he really thought the teen believed him. Despite this Sephiroth still managed to make friends, when he was allowed to go to his SOLDIER training with the rest of the cadets. He was already second class, quiet a feet for his age. Of course if was no wonder, he was, after all, the perfect weapon Hojo had hoped for.

Today the Professor watched the silver haired boy as he spared, going against two other cadets he had made friends with. A red head named Genesis and a raven named Angeal. It was funny to Hojo that they had made friends, considering they were all three unknowingly part of the same project. All three blessed with JENOVA's cells. He contemplated wither their biology had some how brought them together without their knowing, if this was even possible. Like some kind of strange brotherhood.

Beyond the glass Director Lazard appeared, telling the three something, most likely mission orders. Hojo narrowed his dark eyes behind his glasses and walked to the entrance of the training room as they came out, "I'm afraid Sephiroth can not attend any missions at the moment Lazard, I have special training planed for him this afternoon." Hojo told the blonde man, hands in the pockets of his lab coat. Lazard started to say something in reply, but was cut off by Angeal, who bowed in respect to the doctor. "Please, sir. With all due respect this is an easy mission and will only be much more so with Sephiroth. I promise we can have him back in time for training."

Hojo frowned deeply, glancing at the Sephiroth, who looked away immediately. The silverette looked to his friend, "It's fine Angeal. I'm not like the rest of the cadets, remember?" The boy told him softly, turning to leave, likely back to the lab where he knew Hojo would want him. The raven haired professor smirked, following his prized specimen, not bothering to say more.

In the lab he found Sephiroth sitting in a chair, one leg crossed over the other, leaning on his hand and looking out the windows that took up half the room. Hojo went about preparing his latest serum to inject the boy with, he told him they were boosters to aid with his health. Again it was unlikely the boy believed such a thing, he was exceptionally intelligent and by no means fooled easily. "Is that boy your friend?" Hojo asked, smiling in that way he did, walking over to Sephiroth. He prepared a place on his arm for the shot, the teen not even looking up. "I don't have friends. Remember? I'm a freak to them." He replied, barely flinching at the shot, though he tensed up after a few minutes, telling Hojo it was taking effect. For a normal SOLDIER these shots were excruciating and borderline deadly. He had attempted to use them on a few of the new recruits...who were still in the infirmary after six weeks.

He had even gotten permission to use them on at least one of the President's younger Turks, who faired a little better, it took her longer to pass out at least; But she was in a comma for the better part of two weeks. He was hoping to use the girl for more experiments, given the somewhat promising results. She was around Sephiroth's own age, a bit of an upstart with a bad mouth, but that was easily ignored. Sadly the President's son had somehow convinced his father to end any future experiments, not that it really stopped Hojo from sneaking a shot or two of his latest serums into her food and such; Though he did have to do it sparingly to prevent anything too noticeable.

Sephiroth hardly showed any pain or major side effects at all, his tolerance was unbelievably high. As was his strength. Hojo left him there, going to do his rounds on other parts of his projects, thinking about how to improve them. It was quiet in the lab, but for the soft panting sound the teen made, doing his best to not show the pain he felt. A small sound at the door made him lift his teal eyes, surprised to see a red headed boy peaking in. "Hey, I came to sneak you out." Genesis said, striding over to him. Sephiroth was confused, blinking at the other, "Why would you...do that?"

"Well duh, your my friend! Why else? Now come on, Angeal is waiting for us, he's stalling the convoy!" The red head said, taking his friends hand and pulling him along, down to the hall to the elevator. It was pretty easy to sneak out, considering there weren't guards on that level. Hojo seemed fairly over confident that none of his projects would try and leave, considering they were either locked up or had shock collars of some kind.

"So...where is this mission at?" Sephiroth asked, looking over at the red head once they were on the elevator. Genesis seemed so relaxed, with his hands behind his head, leaning back on his heels. "Some monsters got lose in the slums I guess, they want us to clean up the mess."

The silverette looked at the ground, the monsters were so frequent lately. He couldn't help wondering if Hojo had something to do with it, he had seen the beasts in his lab, the ones he was experimenting on. He knew they were being used somewhere, but he couldn't prove anything. "Relax, its an easy mission!" Genesis said, nudging him with a playful fist to the arm, thinking he was nervous or something. Sephiroth smiled softly, nodding.

Once off the elevator they met up with Angeal and the three of them met with the convoy of trucks that would take them to their destination. All the SOLDIER's carried similar swords, with the exception of the three of them. They were considered special in their class, because they had chosen to train with specialized weapons, among other reasons. Genesis used a custom made rapier that was red and black, etched with all sorts of runes. They were supposed to enhance his magic. Angeal's sword was not much different than the typical SOLDIER great sword, but for being heavier and having two slots for materia. Sephiroth's was...well a lot of people had a hard time believing he could wield his weapon at all. It was a katana, but three times as long and heavier than a normal one. Despite this he was actually quiet skilled in its use and various techniques.

Of course not many were aware of the long hours he spent practicing, alone at night. Sephiroth stared blankly at the floor of the truck, holding his sword lightly in his lap, it was just him, Angeal, and Genesis in the truck. The other cadets had insisted on riding in another truck. It was no shock to them. They were used to it. It had been like this since Sephiroth came into the picture, everyone avoided him because he was different.

The silverette tried to pretend it didn't hurt him, but Genesis had seen it in his eyes, almost the first time they met. And had insisted on being friends, Angeal of course came along cause they were already friends. The three of them got along well, at least Genesis felt they did. The red head was reading a book, aloud, much to Angeal's annoyance. Sephiroth didn't mind much, it was a nice distraction from his inner thoughts. "My friend, do you fly away now? To a world that abhors you and I? All that awaits you is a somber morrow, No matter where the winds may blow."

"Must you read that everywhere you go?" Angeal asked with a sigh, looking over at the red head, who grinned. "Yes I do. It's the greatest poem ever written!"

Sephiroth chuckled lightly, smiling at the two across from him, "Its a nice poem, but there are plenty out there. Why not try something new once and awhile?"

"Never." Genesis smirked, opening his mouth to continue reading the next verse, but the truck came to a jerking stop.

"Guess its time, sounds pretty quiet out there though." Sephiroth said, climbing out of the truck after his friends, he assumed they had stopped somewhere near the actual destination. Likely as a relief area for the injured that would no doubt need to be brought somewhere. Sure enough he saw some of the guards setting up a medical tent behind a blockade cleared by the trucks lined up in a semi-circle fashion. 

Looking around them, they had stopped in one of the few places the sun still reached in the slums. In the distance he could hear screaming, but otherwise the scene was normal. Nothing out of place yet. He heard the foot steps before he saw the owner or even caught the sound of the person yelling, "Someone please!? I need help!" A girl cried, appearing from an alley between some debris and ramshackle houses, she was halfway across the street when a dog like beast came pouncing from behind some old cars. It tackled the girl, latching on to her right hip, blood spraying from the wound and staining her cloths, slashing across the ground and the beasts face. Sephiroth moved quickly, deftly knocking the beast away and getting between it and the girl. The monster growled at him, pacing to and fro in front of him, clearly wanting to finish what it started but sensing and obvious threat.

Sephiroth stood his ground, ready for it to strike, focused completely on it. Until a rock came barreling from over his shoulder and slamming into the things head feebly, thumping harmlessly to the ground. The silverette blinked, confused, he turned his head to look at the girl behind him. Only then really noticing her. She was small, but looked around his age, with ebony hair and bright crimson red eyes. Eyes filled with tears, cutting through the dirt on her cheeks as they fell, her pant leg soaked with blood on one side and pooling at her feet. But she was still standing, as if the pain was meaningless. The sight was something that forever burned itself in his mind, seeing someone else so much strength, perhaps not in a traditional way. But strength all the same.

"Th-those things killed my parents...I-I...I'll..." She was trying not to sob when she spoke and he felt bad for her, but curious all the same. He would have been thrilled had his father died. But then his father didn't really act like what he thought a parent should. What must if be like to have a loving family and then to lose them so suddenly and in such terrible fashion? The teen pursed his lips, looking at the ground a moment, before facing the beast in front of him with a new fire kindled in his teal eyes.

"Just let me take care of this. Your injured, you shouldn't even be standing." He told her, "It's okay. Your safe now." Lunging at the beast, suddenly having the urge to, in some way, avenge the wrong that she had been dealt.

* * *

 

_Present day..._

Adeline stood in the kitchen, finishing up breakfast, she plated eggs and bacon before brining it to the table. Sephiroth was sitting there, mug of coffee untouched and a dazed look he had had since their date a few days prior. She sat his plate before him, frowning a little, "Are you okay...? You've been really off since the other night..." Concern laced her soft words, taking a seat beside him, looking up at his jewel like eyes. Sephiroth didn't answer at first, but turned his eyes slowly to her, gazing into those ruby gems with a thoughtful, worried look. For no reason it seemed, he leaned forward, resting his head on her shoulder. Her heart picked up into a quick pace, blushing deeply at the sudden and unexpected contact, lifting a hand to lay on his back softly.

"Its...okay. Your safe now."

Adeline blinked, frowning deeply, "Of course I'm safe...I wasn't in any danger, was I? I was only making breakfast like always..." A frown marred rosy lips, as she looked down at the top of his head, worry twisting her insides. Was he sick or something? He made a soft noise, something akin to a laugh, but not exactly. It did carry amusement, however small it may have been. "Did you know...that we've met before?" He asked, only confusing her more, did he mean...? Surely not. "What...what are you talking about?"

Sephiroth lifted his head, looking at her eyes again, but his hand lifted to rest on her right hip. "I wasn't sure at first. When I saw you in that alley...But I noticed the scar when you were sleep on the couch the day I moved you in here." Adeline blinked, surprise in her features, "Y-You remember? But that was so long ago, I didn't think...I was..." A single finger shushed her, silver hair swaying as he shook his head slightly, "I could never forget. Your probably the only girl in Midgar who gets that badly hurt and doesn't collapse from the shock."

Adeline smiled a little at that, wanting to laugh, but not able to. The conversation felt so, oddly serious, rather than the way it sounded humorous. "What brought all this up anyway?" She asked after a moment, wishing she hadn't when Sephiroth looked away from her, eyes dark and holding a coldness that made even her shudder. Silence reigned for so long she wondered if he would even answer at all...

"Hojo...he's...he's dangerous. I want you stay away from him, at all cost, Adeline. Please? Will you do that?"

The raven frowned, looking away, was that man so horrible? Horrible enough his own son feared for the safety of another over him? She nodded at last, smiling a bit, hoping to reassure the silverette and perhaps get him back to his normal self. The slightly awkward man she loved so much. "You don't need to worry, its not like I work on the same floor or anything. Before the other day I hadn't even met him, so I really doubt it'll be an issue. Like you said, I'm safe."

Sephiroth smirked at her, leaning forward and kissing her gently, lingering that way a long time. Like he was memorizing the feeling of her lips on his own. Standing up after a few minutes, breakfast clearly forgotten, "I have to get ready for work, they want me to look over the exams for the new cadets." He explained, smiling gently, seeming more at ease now. She chuckled quietly, "Yeah, I had a feeling. I noticed they wanted it put into Genesis's schedule, so I figured all of you would be going."

Adeline stood herself, breakfast left untouched on the table, she decided to get dressed for the day too. She wouldn't have much to do, other than answering the phone and filing papers, but she still had to go in either way. She wore the sweater Angeal gave her and jeans, it was presentable enough for her job and yet comfortable, since she was only a secretary on the SOLDIER floor and not part of the main reception it was not like she was required to wear a button up top and pencil skirt. They walked to work together like always, separating in the elevator since they had to go to separate floors. She was glad it was only another day before they would both be off, she really wanted a chance to talk to Sephiroth, since their date had been cut short before, she still had so many questions. Reaching up, she began fiddling with the necklace laying against her collar bone, a fond smile on her lips. Adeline hadn't had a chance yet to tell him how much she loved it. It was hard for her to believe he really remembered the first time they met, she wondered if it was fate, them meeting again and now being so close. 

 


	7. Eternal Love

It was the weekend, which meant it was the only two days out of the week that Adeline and Sephiroth were both free to do as they wanted, together. Ever since their first date, and the incident with the Hojo, they had been spending much more time together. However getting alone time proved harder than it probably should have, every time it seemed they had a chance to just be alone and let things, like making out, happen...someone would come over. Sephiroth wasn't really sure how to tell his friends to go away, after all Angeal and Genesis where only people he had every had to talk to since he was young and they were all he had in the world, besides Adeline. And she understood, she didn't blame him, it was a feeling she understood very well. So she never had the heart to say anything about it either.

But it was almost a relief when a storm hit Midgar that Saturday night, which meant Genesis and Angeal weren't leaving their respective apartments. Adeline still found it mildly funny they didn't live in the same building. Well Angeal and Genesis did, but Sephiroth had chosen to live in the one two blocks down.

For the first time since their first date, Adeline and Sephiroth had the night alone, just the two of them. And Adeline was nervous for some reason. It wasn't like she thought they would do anything, it was a giddy sort of nervous, the kind were your guts felt funny and you were excited and jittery and just wanted to cuddle on the couch and hope the feeling eased up. Which is exactly what they did, cuddled up on the couch. The TV was tuned to the news, there were more and more monster outbreaks. Adeline tried to not think about that, it brought back to many memories she'd rather not focus on. She was fiddling with her necklace instead, holding it up slightly to see it better. It was a simple looking thing, a golden ring with a red orb inside, though it was multiple shades of red.

The silverette seemed perfectly at ease, unaware of the smaller raven's unease. She tried to relax, ignore the odd feelings that were surely going to drive her insane. Just when she thought she could focus enough on the television to relax...the power went out, darkness and silence closing in on them in an instant. Adeline stiffened, those feelings coming back ten fold. A loud clap of thunder made her jump, which made Sephiroth laugh softly, the sound deep and resonating. "Looks like the storm knocked out the power in the entire city..." He mused, looking toward the bay windows, the only light outside from the occasional flashes of lightening that illuminated them. The light made Sephiroth's features come out in almost stark contrast, he looked ethereal and angelic.

Adeline nibbled her lip nervously, it felt like the air was statically charged, "So...what now?" She murmured into the darkness, sitting up when she felt Sephiroth shift away from her, she couldn't see very well in the darkness that clouded their apartment. She did however hear the silverette's deep chuckle, feeling the warmth of his body as he moved in front of her slightly, his breath ghosting across her face. He was so close it made her heart skip several beats, wondering what he was doing. "I can think of a few things..." He whispered, before pressing his lips to hers, their bodies seemed to ignite like someone had thrown a match on to gasoline dosed wood. Those weird feelings inside Adeline seemed to mix with something else, something more animal like, darker. Desire, was a good word for it.

Their kiss started out innocently enough, she wasn't sure if it was the darkness or the fact they didn't have enough alone time, but the kiss quickly escalated into something fiery. Before either realized it their hands were moving, slow, sensual, exploring one another. Memorizing each sound, each curve. Seth made a noise, something like a growl, when her hands found his long silky hair, tugging it gently. "Sorry..." Adeline said breathlessly between kisses and gasps for much needed air, the other chuckled softly, "I like it..." He replied, pulling her closer so he could deepen their kiss, if possible, further.

This all went on for sometime, she wasn't even sure how long, before Sephiroth scooped Adeline up, standing and walking toward the hall. The raven squeaked in surprise at the motion, parting from their kissing, she panting softly. Her heart did a nervous flutter, _'Where was he going?!'_ Her panicked mind asked. As if sensing her uneasiness he held her a little closer, kissing the top of her head, "Relax darling, I won't do anything you don't want." He said gently into her ear, his voice deeper and more velvety from their making out, warm breath skating over her skin. The sensation brought a shiver over her.  Adeline could only nod in response, she was nervous, scared, and excited all at the same time. Wanting this, more than she thought possible, but she feared it was too soon as well. Was it ok to do 'those things' after only dating two months? She was uncertain, she didn't have much experience in these matters, hell Sephiroth was her first real boyfriend! Adeline wished she had someone she could ask, but it was a little late to worry about it.

She felt the bed come up to meet her as Sephiroth lowered her to it, felt him lean over, easily finding her lips again. The raven swore he could see in the dark sometimes, but then it made sense didn't it? He was a super SOLDIER, his teal colored eyes glowed with Mako, bright enough to be seen even in the blackest darkness. And she couldn't lie, it was beautiful and sexy and she could have laid and stared into them for days.

But now was not the time, she was more focused on the soft, heated kisses he was now trailing along her neck, his hands exploring once more, one rested on her side and another ran softly up her leg to her hip...She could swear his hands were on fire, it felt like he was lighting a trail with every soft touch. Adeline made a surprised gasp when she felt warm fingers snake beneath the hem of her shirt, splaying out over her stomach, they were gentle, slightly callused from years of training with a sword. But they felt amazing...she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the simple fact it was Sephiroth who was touching her...

Adeline could feel the slight tickle of his long silver hair that fell around them, like a curtain, shielding them from prying eyes even in the dark of the room. It dawned on her, that she didn't even know whose room they were in, she wondered off handedly if Sephiroth even knew...She shook the thought from her mind, trying to will her body to relax, she lifted her hands to do a little exploring herself. Running them down the others toned chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath the fabric of the t-shirt he wore, almost wishing it wasn't there.

He was a mind reader, she knew it as he sat up a moment, the lightening flashing outside the windows bright enough and long enough for her to watch him peel off the t-shirt, to burn the image of those gorgeous muscles into her mind. The darkness took over once more, it was back to guesses and unexpected touches, simply going off instincts and need. Adeline started to let loose, worry less, enjoy more. Closing her eyes as they shared another deep, heated kiss, her hands running over those beautiful muscles, stopping only when they reached the hem of the others pants. She grew nervous for a second, she wasn't quiet ready for that yet, so she moved her hands else where, playing with Seph's hair, running her hands up his sculpted back.

A gasp left her, feeling his hands lift her shirt off, making her shift nervously a moment. The raven felt him still, "Should I stop?" He asked, breathless as she was, softly glowing eyes gazing down at her in the blackness. Adeline thought about it a moment or two, did she want to stop? It took her a moment to answer, "No..." She stammered the single word, her own voice slightly rough from kissing, "I-I want this..." She mumbled a moment later, shivering when he chuckled softly against her lips, kissing her sweetly, lingering a bit. The raven relaxed a little, though her hands trembled slightly, settling on his shoulders.

Sephiroth decided to slow down a little, make this last, he wanted her to enjoy this as much as he already was. This was about her, he decided, more than himself. He wanted her to lnow just how much he loved and adored her. He moved his kisses lower, trailing them from her lips to her slim shoulder, thinking randomly that she was so tiny compared to him, like a bird or a kitten compared to a lion. The silverette nibbled at the soft skin on her shoulder, feeling her stiffen a little beneath him, he lifted a knee, settling it between her legs, smirking at the soft gasp that left her. He ran his hands, slowly, up her hips, her sides, feeling her shuddering beneath his feather light touches and he decided to push his luck a little.

Adeline bit her lip, feeling one of Seph's strong hands massaging one of her breasts, kneading it. She shifted, feeling a weird heat pooling in her stomach, desire, like hot lava. He must have taken her reaction as a positive one, moving to unclasp her bra, she didn't protest, she was curious. She could remember Marree telling her how great these things were, but she had never done these things so imagining them was hard...Feeling them was amazing. His fingers played with her nipples a little, sending little shocks of pleasure through her, like tiny blots of lighting exploding from each touch. Tiny, that is, until she felt his lips wrap around one, sucking gently, his tongue flicking the pert little bud.

Adeline gasped, arching her body slightly beneath his, feeling the leg between hers, rubbing her a bit. She wondered how far this would go...would they go 'all the way'? From there things quickly escalated and before she knew it they were both laying in the center of the large bed, naked, staring at each as if debating about all of it.

Above her Sephiroth took a moment to take in the sight before him, even in pitch blackness he could make out a fair amount of detail. Like the darkness in her heated cheeks, how her hair fanned out elegantly around her delicate featured face, the gentle, nervous curve of her plush lips. Oh how those lips intoxicated him, blurred the worries in his mind and blew them away like smoke in a breeze. The silverette doubted he could ever get enough of her.

Adeline was shaking, a little frightened, but Sephiroth tried to calm her. He placed sweet, comforting kisses all over her face, mumbling softly to her, "It's alright...I promise I won't hurt you..." She only nodded, her hands gripping his shoulders, trying to ground herself. Shaking her head a little, she smiled a bit, "It-its not that...I just...are you really sure about all this? About me?" Voice trembling almost as much as her body, crimson eyes staring up at the angelic creature over her, unable to keep from feeling like it was all a dream. No man had ever given her the time of day, her entire life, until now. Until him. It was so hard to believe a man as beautiful as him could and would want anything to do with a girl as ordinary as her. Sephiroth chuckled lightly, kissing a stray tear from her eyes, she had not even noticed she was crying. "Of course I am. I've never met a more lovely or extraordinary person. I love you, Adeline. And I want to be with you always..."

The raven smiled, chocking on a happy little laugh, before kissing the man above her once more. Sephiroth started slow, taking his time and enjoying the moment, enjoying her. And before long the passion, the pleasure, built to a crescendo, breathless kisses and moans of ecstasy mixed in the air between them as they cried out each others name in eternal declarations of love...


	8. The Danger of Your Absence

Sephiroth awoke to the sound of his cellphone going off, buzzing about on the night stand like an angry insect. The silverette sighed in annoyance, sitting up carefully, he had to dislodge himself from Adeline's hold. The petite raven had fallen asleep on his chest after their little night of love making and he didn't want to wake her, she just looked so at peace, it would have been a shame to see her wake at such an ungodly hour. It was only four in the morning. Sephiroth growled, looking at the time on his phone.

The silverette sat back against the head board, one hand resting on Adeline's shoulder, she had shifted when he had and now lay curled against his leg, still sleeping soundly. Answering the phone with a mixture of annoyance and tiredness, "Hello? ....Lazard do you have any idea what time it is? What could possibly be so important you would call me at this hour, on my day off no...less...." Sephiroth had begun to chew the man out quietly, but his words trailed off, his expression turning dark. "I thought they didn't need the General's in Wutai...? You said the regular troops were doing fine...President Shin-Ra what?!" The silverette growled, gritting his teeth to keep from shouting, he could barely believe what he was being told. It was the worst possible news. "I understand...I'll report in shortly." He hung up the phone, gripping it tightly, his muscles tense as he tried to reign in his anger.

Teal eyes turned to the girl sleeping next to him, eyes softening, he didn't want to leave her like this. Not so soon, not unprotected. But he had no choice, if he tried to defect things would only be worse. He had no doubt Shin-Ra would rebel against not only him but those he cared about, that being a short and easy list for them to remember. The silverette ran gentle fingers through black hair, memorizing the feeling of its softness and warmth, committing everything of that moment, of her, to memory. Much the way he had the night before. It would keep him sane, he hoped. Carefully getting out of bed, he left the room, close to loosing his temper on the nearest inanimate object if he didn't. Not wanting Adeline to see him angry or upset like that, not wanting to scare her.

He thought over what Lazard had told him, President Shin-Ra had sent orders that he wanted the three General's to be deployed back in Wutai, to finish this war in one quick move. They estimated they would be gone only a few weeks. Sephiroth had already been to Wutai once, they all had, he had enough blood on his hands to last a lifetime. The memories of that place, of those poor people, they would forever haunt him. He never dreamed he would be called back to cause them yet more pain for a ridiculous cause...But he had no choice, orders were orders. And for the sake of the ones he loved he would follow those orders for better or for worse.

* * *

 

Adeline woke alone, frowning softly as she sat up, looking around for a certain silver lover. The sound of the shower reached keen ears, relaxing her tense muscles a little, having been worried for a moment the other had left or something. Though she still found it odd that Sephiroth had gotten up without waking her, glancing at the time on his phone that was laying on the nightstand and frowning deeply, it was only five? Why was he up so early on a day he had off? The raven haired woman stood from the bed, wrapping the sheets around herself self-consciously, she moved toward the bathroom. Reaching the door just as the water had stopped, the door opening, allowing steam to roll out and from it Sephiroth emerged clad only in a towel. The silverette smiled softly, lovingly at her, leaning over slightly and giving her a quick soft kiss. "Morning my love." He said in a low tone against those full lips, lingering only a moment before walking to the closest and pulling out his signature leather outfit that he wore most of the time for official buisness or missions; Or just generally when he had to do something work related. Adeline often wondered if he only wore it because it made him seem so much more intimidating.

The raven furrowed her brow, pushing strands of inky black from her red eyes, "I thought you were off today?" She asked, walking closer to him, blushing a little when he dropped the towel, seeing him so perfectly nude now with the lights on. It was so silly to be embarrassed about it after last night, to feel so shy, but she couldn't help the butterflies that erupted in her stomach. He pulled his pants on, buckling his belt, he dressed totally before answering her. The silence set her nerves on edge, whatever was going was clearly something that was upsetting. He had never been this quiet. His face was dark, almost angry in its sternness, but he was gentle when he guided her to sit on the end of the bed with him. "I've been given orders, from the President himself...He's sending me into Wutai and-"

Adeline's mind panicked, she didn't know why, but she felt afraid knowing he was leaving so suddenly. It felt wrong, like this was a going to end badly, but she didn't know what made her feel so strongly that way. Heart hammering a as if on a marathon. Maybe because he was leaving **_her_** so suddenly? "No! No, they can't!" He kissed her, hushing the babble of panicked words, gently wiping away the tears slowly welling up and cascading down her fair cheeks. "Love, please calm down. It's only for a few weeks, then I'll be back. It's no big deal..." He murmured against her lips, pulling her against his chest, "B-but...What if something happens? What if you get hurt or-" Adeline could not stop the sobs welling in her chest, closing her eyes tightly and trying to calm down. If for no other reason than for him, knowing he wanted her to be calm about it.

"I promise I'll come back." He interrupted her a second time, kissing her softly once more, "I have to go now. I promise to call every chance I get." He told her, smiling softly, before turning away. She could only sit there, feeling the tears falling down her face, staring into the empty apartment. Something was wrong here, this felt too much like a set up.

* * *

The next two days Adeline got up, feeling like a zombie, she dressed without much thought. Barely ate and got almost no sleep. She felt so alone, it was unbearable. She even ended up trying to sleep in Sephiroth's room, hoping it might help. She wore that black sweater a lot, the one Angeal had given her, mostly because it made her feel like her friends were closer. Discovering on her first day back into work that even Zack had been shipped over to Wutai, but had been pleasantly surprised to find Cloud was still there, though his duties kept him busy much of the time. So in the end she felt like she had been abandoned either way, even if it wasn't any of there faults. It did not make the feeling go away or the time any less unpleasant.

The raven sat quietly at her desk, staring at the computer screen, with the generals gone she didn't have a lot to do. So it was quiet and it left her with her thoughts, once and awhile she would send a text to Cloud, who would eventually answer, it helped a little to distract the nasty feelings and nastier thoughts that wanted to crowd her mind and heart. It felt like angry little monsters had been let lose to wreck havoc on her mental functions. She wondered if Cloud might hang out when he got the chance, having no doubt he was feeling a bit down himself without Zack. He had told her he thought he was getting closer to telling Zack how he felt, but with the sudden deployment he had lost his chance and his nerve.

"You look so very bored, my dear, how's about an old man keeps you company?"

Adeline looked up, eyes wide at hearing the nasally voice of a certain raven haired scientist. The last person she wanted anything to do with. Crimson eyes met his black ones, saw that sickeningly sweet smile, "P-Professor Hojo? Ah, what are you doing here?" An uneasy feeling was slowly washing over her, Sephiroth had told her to avoid him. And up till now that had been easy. Why was this man here all of a sudden? It seemed strange, too coincidental. Like he was taking advantage of Sephiroth's absence.

"Why checking in on you of course! Seeing as my sons away I thought it only best I make sure your in good health while he's away, you want to be in top shape when he returns I'm sure." He said, coming over to her hand reaching out. Adeline automatically pulled away, startled by the sudden closeness, not sure what he was going to do. "Hmm, your a bit jumpy aren't you?" He didn't seem fazed, straightening up and putting his hands behind his back, he moved away from her again. But he didn't leave, just moved around the reception area that her desk occupied. "Tell me, having you been sleeping well? Eating a balanced diet? Not doing so can result in mild paranoia, among other things."

The raven girl frowned, not relaxing in the slightest. Wanting to leave, but he was in her way, standing between her and the door. "I'm...fine..." She replied at last, watching the scientist closely, wishing Sephiroth was still around. She still didn't know why he wanted her to avoid this man, but she believed it was for good reason. Hojo only smiled more, seeming to sense her unease and not even mildly bother by it, hands clasped behind his back. His dark eyes seemed to study her quietly a few more minutes, before he turned and left.

The rest of the week went much the same. The day would be slow and then around lunch Hojo would show up, always asking the same questions. Was she getting enough sleep? Eating well? She would always answer the same. At first he would just take that answer and then take his leave. But as days passed into a week, he began to linger longer and longer. He would try for small talk, like commenting on the weather and such. Like he was trying to get her to warm up to him and the way he smiled, that bone chilling smile...It was like he knew something she didn't, like he was planning to take advantage of some great secret about her. The questions even started getting stranger, like asking about illness, medical history, her family history. Hojo had been mildly intrigued when she told him her parents name, really in self defense as a means to get him to just go away. Which had failed. He started prying more and more and she didn't know what to do. Adeline had started to bring it up to Sephiroth on the phone, a few times, but she didn't want him to worry about her while he was out on the battlefield. Too afraid he might become distracted and wind up hurt, or worse. By the third week Adeline started calling into work, just to avoid him. But then he started calling the home phone, apparently he knew she lived in Sephiroth's apartment, a fact that was incredibly unnerving. In fact he knew a lot of things about her that she found really unnerving, like about Marree and her murder and that Sephiroth and the others had pitched in to help in the funeral. Or that she didn't like fish related foods. 

It was on the fourth week she started actually feeling sick. It was on Saturday morning she woke from a rather violent nightmare, sitting straight up in bed, immediately feel like she might vomit. Ending up on the bathroom floor by the end of the next hour, having lost anything she might of had in her stomach. She wondered if it was just all the stress she was under.

* * *

Adeline sat panting on the floor by the toilet for the third time in two days, shaking fingers reaching up to push raven hair from her face, crimson eyes staring at the tiled floor. She felt so tired, but hungry, despite losing her breakfast only minutes ago. Slowly she got to her feet, struggling a little, knees weak and threatening to give. Nearly to the living room the phone rang, making her smile a little, thinking it might be Sephiroth. It was about time for him to call, he usually did every two days or so.

Reaching the living room, she picked up the cordless phone, not even looking at the caller ID. "Seth I was-"

"So good of you to answer my dear, I've not seen you into work in a few days, I was wondering how you were feeling."

The raven's heart dropped into her stomach at the voice, breath catching, slamming the thing down on the receiver out of impulse. Backing away from the object, eyes wide and terrified, what the hell did he want from her?! Why didn't he take the hint and just leave her be?! An eerie silence fell over the apartment, the only sound ragged breathing...

* _ **BRRRIIINNG BBRRIINNG**_ *

Adeline jumped when the phone rang again, hesitating to answer, she let the machine pick it up. "Adeline, I was just going to tell you I might not be able to call tonight I-" She snatched up the phone the moment she heard Sephiroth's voice, unable to keep the tears from her eyes, "Seth?! Ah-I...Are you okay?" Words sounding chocked, even to her own ears. She prayed he wouldn't hear the panic, "Adeline? Your at home again, so early in the day? Is everything okay?" Sephiroth asked on the other end of the phone, his own voice worried, he had caught it then.

* * *

Sephiroth gripped his phone tightly, walking away from the camp a ways so the men wouldn't hear him. Adeline's voice sounded off, very off, strained and scared. "Tell me what's wrong Adeline, please?" He begged her softly, frowning, waiting as patiently as he could. Hearing her whimper on the other end, the sound broke his heart, "I-It's...Its Hojo!" He felt his heart sink, eyes going wide as he listened, fear trickling through his veins like ice. "H-He won't leave me alone! I-I tried to ignore him, I tried to keep my promise Sephiroth, I swear! But he started cornering me at work! And now he keeps calling the apartment! He knows I'm here!" She was hysterical, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry Sephiroth, I-I didn't want you to worry...s-so I didn't tell you! B-but I'm terrified!"

The silverette lowered his head, eyes dark, "Adeline, please calm down." He said softly, gently trying to comfort her as best he could from so far away, "Its going to be okay, just...Do you have anywhere you can go? Someone you could stay with until I get back?" He asked, hopeful, surely she had someone! He heard her sob, "No...Y-your...all of you are over there..."

He heard an odd sound in the background, followed by a soft gasp, "Adeline what's going on? Is someone else there?" He could only listen, helpless, to the sounds of what he could only assume was a door slamming open and a muddle of voices; Followed by Adeline's terrified screams. "Adeline! Adeline!" He heard a chilling laugh and then the line went dead. He lowered the phone with trembling hands, staring at it, eyes dark. What was he going to do?! He was thousands of miles from her and she was in trouble! 

He couldn't even turn to his friends for help, Angeal was in another unit and Genesis...Genesis had gone MIA. He had deserted. And in that moment the red head's parting words echoed in his head, his heart slowing to a crawl, blood cold in his veins.

_'She was already in danger the day you got involved with her.'_

* * *

 

_Back in Midgar..._

"Stay away from me!" Adeline screamed, running into Sephiroth's room and shutting the door behind her, locking it. Backing away from it, heart racing, breath erratic. The raven looked around for something to defend herself with, staggering over to the nightstand, opening the drawers. Nothing. There was nothing! There was a pounding at the door. She flinched, cowering into the corner, shaking her head slowly. What did they want with her?! She knew by their clothes they worked for Shin-Ra, knew they had to be Turks, but what did they want with her? She had done nothing wrong! She was only vaguely aware that Hojo too was there, having been behind those men as they broke down the front door before.

The door broke from its hinges, knocked lose by a booted foot, connected to a lanky red head with spikey hair and a pony tail. The man strolled into the room slowly, eyeing her, she couldn't even read what he was thinking. He just looked...bored. Beside him was a big fellow, dark skinned with no hair, wearing sunglasses. They came closer and closer, slowly, like they knew that she couldn't get away. Adeline looked around, panic clouding her better judgment, she made for the on suite bathroom. Stumbling out of the way of one of the goons, hitting the wall hard, knocking some pictures down. She barely paid mind to that, clambering into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and putting her back against it. "Please! Just leave me alone!" She screamed, pushing back against the door when they tried to open it, not even thinking to lock it. They gave a couple of light shoves, before kicking it down too, knocking her into the shower doors, which shattered on the impact; Glass scattered all over the floor. She didn't even notice when shards cut up her feet and legs as she shifted onto her knees, looking up at the red head who made a lunge for her.

Thinking fast, she grabbed a large piece of glass, swiping at the red head. Managing to cut his arm, ripping his suit in the process and making him stagger back a moment in surprise. He looked down at the damage and growled, "Little bitch! This was a new suit!" He reacted violently, lunging a second time, he punched her, hard. She wasn't sure what happened after that, her vision blackened and their voices turned hazy..."Reno...we're not supposed to damage her."

 

 


	9. Project S and Project A

Adeline awoke to a feeling a numbness in her limbs, her mind a daze, it took several moments for her to even remember what had happened before she fell asleep. And when she did it was like slamming into a solid wall. The raven sat straight up, stomach turning horribly, making her heave. Sucking in a sharp breath, clamping a hand over her mouth, trying to hold it in. Red eyes scanned the room, not really taking it on, finding a toilet. Stumbling over to it and vomiting violently for several minutes. Eventually the retching turned to heaving and the heaving to panting...She felt cold all over, pale skin coated in a light sweat. It was only now she really looked around from where she had collapsed onto the floor beside the toilet.

The room was small, brightly lite, cold and overly sterile, no windows, no clocks, just a single bunk and a toilet. And the overwhelming smell of chemicals that only proved to make the nausea worse. There wasn't even a blanket or sheets, just a thin mattress. Adeline curled into a corner, heart beginning to race again, rocking back and forth. The raven wasn't sure how long she stayed this way, staring at the walls, rocking like a mad woman. Before noticing a few more things, like the fact someone had changed her clothes. She was wearing scrubs, white ones. With no shoes or socks. Only the scrubs. Someone had also put bandages on her legs and feet, likely because had cut herself back home when the shower door had broken. Her left hand was also bandage, this too she figured was from home. Standing up after awhile, gasping a little when sharp pains snaked up her limbs like lightening strikes, but it didn't stop her, just slowed her down a bit.

First she tried the door, tried screaming for someone to help her. When that didn't work, Adeline tried forcing it down, going to the back of her cell and rushing it with her shoulder. The adrenaline in her body dulling out the pain. The only thing she managed to do was bruise her shoulder...repeatedly. Then she resorted to pacing, the pain in her legs going numb totally after awhile, so much so she didn't notice she was bleeding through the bandages or the bloody marks she was leaving on the floor. Trying to stay strong, to keep from breaking down, but the past month of worrying herself to tears at night was against her and before long she was in the corner again.

A soft sob left her, knees curled tightly to her chest, face hidden behind them and messy raven hair. The only time she moved from that spot was when she felt sick to the point of vomiting, which was pretty frequent considering she hadn't eaten in awhile. This only resulted in painful dry heaving into the toilet that left her throat raw and made it painful to make any sounds, not that this stopped the sobs. She wasn't sure how long exactly she had been there when the door at last opened...to reveal the last person she ever wanted to see.

Hojo stood in the doorway, that creepy smile plastered on his face, two assistants following him. Neither assistant made even a glance at the girl, seeming dead to the world. "You shouldn't have avoided me Ms. Winter, things could have been much easier." He smiled a bit wider, the light shining off his glasses and hiding his black eyes for that moment, making him look far more sinister than he already did.

The assistants moved to grab the girl, though she tried to fight them, kicking and struggling as they hoisted her up by her arms roughly. "Wh-What do you want with me?!" Adeline cried, trying in vain to pull her arms from their hold, tears pricking the corners of crimson eyes. They dragged her down the white halls and into another room, her heart sank, seeing a metal table and all of equipment set up beside it. Was this...a lab?! The raven fought harder now, but there was a sudden prick to her arm. Looking around wildly a moment, seeing them pulling a needle away, the terror only doubling. "What did you do?!" The words slurred on the end, a sedative? They lifted her onto the lab table, the metal so cold it felt like shards of broken glass against her skin, dark eyes looked up at the ceiling hazily. They strapped her legs and hands down, putting a strap even around her neck for good measure. Adeline stayed awake, mostly, the sedative only enough to cause a mild paralysis. Hojo leaned over her and chuckled, "Isn't it lovely? I created that formula myself. It allows my subjects to stay conscious, but keeps them from fighting so much."

The Professor smirked wickedly, taking an empty syringe from a small table beside her, leaning down and taking a small sample of her blood. Unable to stop him or really react beyond a small flinch, all she could do was watch and listen, helpless. "We just need a quick test and we can proceed, though I have no doubt it'll come out _positive_." He commented, neither of his assistants spoke, they simply stood back and waited for instructions. Just the way he liked it, strong and able to follow orders, lacking a conscience to see what he was doing might be considered wrong. Moving about the laboratory, taking the sample to the counter where his equipment was set up, he ran a quick test, mixing the blood with a few other chemicals before setting the mixture aside to settle.

He went ahead setting other things up, such as the vital sign machines, hooking his specimen up to each one properly. He had to make sure she survived after all...That done, along with an I.V bag of nutrients she would need. Turning to his previous mixture on the counter and picking up the beaker, he swirled its contents lightly. The grin that crossed his face was one of triumph and madness, "Good, good. It's just as I suspected. Now then, we can proceed with the experiment." Reaching over and clicking something on the computer in the room, "For the record, we are calling this 'Project A', this will be a new level to my previous studies regarding 'Project S'. Seeing as he has already served his purpose and I believe reached the limits of his power, he has helped produce this new specimen..." Hojo walked over to the table on which the girl was strapped down firmly, pulling out a large syringe with some sort of glowing greenish blue liquid in it, he lifted the raven haired girls shirt slightly, revealing her stomach. He injected the contents of the needle into her lower abdomen, his smile sadistic, soulless black eyes gazing down at the place he had injected with a sickening pleasure.

The girl convulsed in pain, the sedative not strong enough to stifle the pain or her screams. Her red eyes wide in agony, having never felt a pain like this one. Adeline's voice echoed through the lab and Hojo just laughed, cackling like a mad man. "With his spawn I shall create a greater SOLDIER than any the world has ever seen!!" The crazed doctor cackled, his insane laughter filling the room and carrying down the halls.

* * *

It was hours before she was dragged back to her cell, left there on her bunk like garbage. The raven lay there, just staring at the ceiling blankly, unable to move or speak or even cry. Eventually the door opened again, Hojo striding in alone. Smiling wickedly at her, watching her awhile with sick satisfaction. "W...why?" She asked, voice soft, raspy from screaming so long. Red rings rimmed dark red eyes, which looked swollen from crying. He smiled a bit wider, a menacing glint in his eye. "Are you so oblivious? I would think it was quiet obvious, surely you noticed the signs? Can't you even piece it together? All those questions, the bout of illness your going through...You really are a stupid little creature."

Adeline just stared at him, not sure what he was talking about or even having the energy to respond to the nasty things he was saying to her. Was this just some kind of torture? What could he possibly want with her? "Your pregnant with Sephiroth's child." The words hung in the air like some kind of sick declaration of victory. Words that should have brought joy, made he stomach turn in horror. "What...what did you...say?"

He out right laughed at her, pacing lightly as he spoke next, "Your pregnant my dear! That child is the key to finishing my ultimate research! Creating the worlds greatest monster!" He proclaimed, "I've waited for months, years really, for this to happen. As soon as I discovered Sephiroth was seeing a female I had the Turks bug his entire apartment, cameras, microphones, all of it in every room. Waiting until he had consummated your little union. Didn't you find it a little strange I knew where you were that night of your date? Or that the power went out in the apartment, considering that the reactors would not have been affected by a simple storm." Walking over to her and grabbing her shoulders as she sat up fully, his eyes wild in his joy. He couldn't deny he was surprised she could even move, normally someone would still be unable to after such a treatment as the one he had given. Adeline was a strong creature, the perfect host for his latest experiment. He looked into her wide, horrified eyes, "I...But...this is...y-your grandchild! Your son's child! How could you?!" She asked, shaking beneath his fingers. Stepping back, smiling madly, the Professor moved toward the door. "You really think I care about that!? Foolish girl! The only thing I care about is my research! Family is a worthless notion people cling to in order to alleviate ridiculous emotions like _loneliness_ or a sense of _belonging_." He told her, leaving the room, looking back as the door slide shut. "I'll see you again in a few days for a, hmhmh, 'Check up'."

The door shut fully, leaving Adeline alone, in the silence that echoed more deafeningly than the screams from the lab. The raven sat there, staring at the closed door, tears slowly trickling down her face. A trembling hand lifted to lay on her stomach, her heart aching at the knowledge she had been given. She was pregnant. With Sephiroth's baby...She should have been happy, she was going to have a child by the man she loved, be a mother. But she felt sick by the news, knowing what Hojo was planning to do, knowing she couldn't stop him. Knowing Sephiroth could not even save her.

"NAAAOOOOO!"

* * *

The next three weeks passed much the same, Adeline had no way of keeping an accurate account of the passage of time while in her cell, only when Hojo would bring her to the lab. He always recorded their 'sessions' she noticed, always said the date allowed for the camera. He would spend hours doing different tests, like sonograms of the baby growing inside her. This...this brought her a certain amount of joy and an immense amount of sorrow, seeing the little gray pictures of the infant wiggling within her. Some days she would space out, just stare up at the ceiling, not react at all to his questions. The only thing she could not ignore was the pain brought by those shots he gave her each time. When she was not on the table she was in her cell, staring at the walls or ceiling, contemplating what to do. Adeline had considered suicide, death would have been a mercy to her and this child compared to what Hojo was doing to them. But she couldn't bring herself to even really try. The raven did try to eat as little as possible, hoping if she became ill enough Hojo would at least leave he alone longer, but this only succeeded in making things far worse.

Slowly the weeks passed into a month and then two. She began to notice her body changing, a little at a time, her stomach growing slightly swollen. But those weren't the only things. She noticed her hearing was getting more sensitive, just slightly, but enough for her to take note of it. Her eye sight seemed sharper too and her reflex's. This she noticed when the assistants came to get her one day and she managed to avoid them grabbing her, at least for a few minutes before her stamina ran out, making it part way down the hallway before they managed to wrestle her down. That was something else she noticed, that she was feeling weaker, losing strength. She didn't know if it was the experiments or if it had to do with the fact she was losing hope. Her will to fight was growing flimsier by the day...

Adeline tried to keep her spirits up, prayed every day to Gaia that Sephiroth would just stride through the door and save her. But each time he didn't her will crumbled just a little more. As did her sanity. Before long she found herself laying and staring at the walls, trying to find patterns while she mumbled softly to herself. Sometimes she would whisper to the baby, tell it stories of its father, tell it that someday he would come and they would all be a family together. Even if she was not so sure of it. She would dream about what life would have been like had Hojo left her be, escaping into a fantasy about a little house on the sea where she and Sephiroth would raise the baby without fear. And then she would cry, sob herself to sleep, the only solace she really had was in the darkness of unconsciousness....

 


	10. A Maiden, her Knights, and their escape.

Sephiroth had come back from Wutai a lot later than he had intended, though he had made sure to end this little war as quickly as possible. He put away his guilt for what he was doing to that innocent nation for the time being, his beloved needed him. He had to find Adeline as soon as possible and the moment his helicopter landed on Shin-Ra tower he went straight to the science department, his eyes so cold the term 'If looks could kill' was almost literal. Angeal had come back with him, he had already told the man about his last phone call with Adeline. What he feared had happened, the raven had of course agreed to help him in whatever way he could.

The silver General slammed open the door to Hojo's office, Angeal on his heels, the raven headed scientist barely gave them notice. No doubt having expected this. "Yes? I'm busy." Hojo replied shortly, before finding himself slammed against the nearest wall. If the impact hurt he didn't show it, only stared at Sephiroth calmly. "Where. Is. She?" The silverette growled, punctuating each word carefully, glaring hard at the bespectacled man.  Hojo only smiled sadistically, knowing full well who it was his 'son' was looking for, "She is safe. And if your smart you won't test me. You know very well what I could do to her." Sephiroth felt his blood chill at the threat in those words, a horrible sensation filling gut, he slowly let Hojo go and took a step back. Glowering at the man, who only smiled back at him in a triumphant fashion. "I want to see her."

Hojo hummed, brushing himself off and walking to his desk, "Mmm, I'm rather busy at the moment." The elder man said, smirking, though he had his back to the two visitors. Angeal crossed his arms, staying back, not sure what to do either. He too knew what Hojo was capable of and it was likely they would get no help if they went to the President, he had probably approved this. Sephiroth shook with rage, hands turning to fists at his sides as he resisted the urge to rip the professor apart. "But, if you were to...I don't know...beg, maybe? I might find the time for a break." Hojo cooed, looking over his shoulder a moment at Sephiroth, seeing the shock on his face; Though it was brief.This only widened his smile, a sick glee in his dark eyes.

The silverette grit his teeth, this was undignified and low, even for Hojo. But, if it would help him confirm his beloved's safety? He would have done almost anything. So, gritting his teeth, he sank to his knees and lowered his head, "Please...father. May I see Adeline?" Angeal had to grit his own teeth, he hated to see his friend, proud and kind Sephiroth, bowing to scum like Hojo.

The raven doctor smirked, "Alright, since you seem so sincere about it." He reached into his desk and retrieved a set of keys, leading the two down the hall, turning a corner down another hall that was lined with doors. At the end he unlocked one of them, stepping aside as it creaked open.

The sight that met Sephiroth was horrifying, his heart dropping to the very ground beneath the lowest level of the tower in which he was standing. The cell was a mess of stains, ones he was certain were blood and others he wasn't sure. His hands shook as he stepped inside, eyes glued to the small figure on the cot in the back of the room. He knew it was her, by her raven hair that lay lank and tangled around her small frame. But she looked...sick...Her hair was dull, lacking its normal shine and luster. What he could see of her skin was discolored and bruised in places, stained with dry blood in others, littered with scratches and needle marks. Her cloths were dirty, no doubt they had not even granted her a simply change. He could barely find his voice to call out to her, he wanted to kill Hojo for this, but most of all he wanted to punish himself for letting it happen. 

* * *

 

Adeline lay on her bunk, facing the wall, she was looking for patterns in the metal surface; Again. She was curled up on her side, her knees pulled up and her arms almost protective around her middle. She had taken to talking to herself pretty often now, or rather the little child slowly growing inside her, it kept her mostly sane. At least she hoped it did. She talked a lot about Sephiroth, telling the baby about how strong he was, what a true hero he was.

The raven flinched slightly, hearing the lock on her cell door clicking open, the door creaking aside with an agonizing sound that grated on her very raw nerves. She didn't move, she figured it was Hojo anyway, he was probably there to drag her to the lab again and-

"Adeline...?"

That voice...it pierced her like a knife, her eyes going wide and watering in an instant, surely it wasn't real? She was going to sit up and turn around and it will have been her imagination. Some sick joke Hojo had created to torment her. But it wasn't...Dark red eyes met glowing teal and she cried out, launching herself across the room and right into the comforting embrace of her beloveds strong arms, "Sephiroth! Y-Your...I...Aa-aaahhh!" She sobbed, clinging to him like her life depended on it. He held her gently as they sank to the floor together, he held her a long time this way, until she had quieted enough for him to speak. "Adeline, I need you to listen to me. I'm going to get you out of here as soon as I can..." He put a finger to her lips when he started to whisper so only she could hear, "I don't have much time, Love...Please, just trust me. If I tried anything now he would kill you. Be patient just a little longer-"

"No!" She shouted and shook her head violently, tears falling like rivers down her cheeks, cutting through the grime there. "Sephiroth, please?! I-I'm pregnant...He's been injecting me with Gaia knows what! He said he's trying to create a super soldier using our child!" She pleaded hysterically, he pulled her against him again, protectively holding her in his arms. He was speechless, no words could ever have described the kind of hatred and anger welling inside him. As if hurting the woman he loved was not enough, he was hurting their child too? Sephiroth didn't even get the pleasure of enjoying the thought of having a child with Adeline, all he got now was the worry for both her's and the baby's well being. He needed to do something...and soon. He grit his teeth, swallowing the lump in his throat, forcing himself to be calm. He needed to try and comfort her, somehow...

"Time to go, she's has an important appointment to keep." Hojo said, coming into the room from where he had been standing back in the hall, he smiled darkly. He took pleasure in their pain as he took Adeline roughly by the arm and pulled her from the room, his assistants forcing Sephiroth back. "NO! PLEASE!? Sephiroth??!!" She screamed all the way down the hallway, trying to break free of Hojo, it was unbelievable how strong he was for his age. All Sephiroth could do was watch, the life almost leaving his eyes, darkness filling them.

* * *

 

Sometime later Sephiroth was found pacing back and forth in his office, Angeal watching him from the desk, thinking. Nearly tearing his hair out with worry, wide eyes glaring at the floor, "I don't know what to do Angeal! I want to barge in their, guns blazing and just take her away from here! But I know Hojo has something up his sleeve, it won't be so simple. But I can't leave her there! Let that sicko experiment on **_MY_** child like one of his lab rats...Like he did...me." He chocked on the last word, almost falling to his knees. He didn't want this child to grow up feeling like a monster, like he had. It had taken years for his friends to convince him he was normal, he was human like them.

Angeal hummed, leaning forward, hands folded in front of his face. Then it hit him, "I think I may know what to do." He said confidently, standing up and smiling at Sephiroth, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It won't be easy, but I think I know someone who can help."

* * *

 

Adeline was returned to her cell sometime later, exhausted, she crawled to her bunk. Too tired to even walk. She sat there on the floor, half leaning on the cot, laying her head on its surface. She stared at the wall, dark circles under her eyes, she felt...betrayed. Sephiroth had left her there...left her...He hadn't even said anything about the baby?! Did he hate her? Hate this child? Was that it...?

This night she didn't have the chance to even fall asleep, dazedly staring off, crying quietly. She was startled by a sudden trembling in the building, it lasted only a moment or two, before the alarms started going off beyond her cell. She lifted her head, hearing the footsteps in the hall, people yelling as she was getting slowly to her feet. She couldn't make out what people were saying, but she assumed something bad must have happened. The yelling in the hall grew distant and soon quiet. Nibbling her lip, she walked to the door, testing the handle...nothing. Of course.

A moment later the handle turned, she backed away, pressing herself into a corner. Who could it possibly be? Surely not Hojo, he had already done his experiments for the day, hadn't he? But relief washed over her when a tall figure entered the room, his long hair swaying elegantly around him. "Seth?"

Sephiroth crossed the room in an instant, lifting Adeline carefully into his arms, "Lets get you out of here." He kissed her softly, feeling the wetness on her cheeks, she was crying again. "Its okay Adeline..."

"I thought...I thought you hated me...I-I thought you didn't want me anymore..." She sobbed brokenly, he shook his head in bewilderment, holding her as close as he could as he walked out of the cell and headed down the now abandoned halls. His stomach turned with guilt at her words, "What would ever make you think that?" He asked her, honestly shocked she would come to such a conclusion, "Because you never said anything when I told you I was pregnant...You just...just sat there and...and let him take me away."

"Adeline...I love you. And I'm not mad about the pregnancy. I'm...actually thrilled! I'm sorry I didn't say anything, I promise you, there is nothing in this world that will ever make me not want you or this baby." He assured her, peaking around the corner, they had to be careful. Most the guards were likely else where, but he couldn't be sure. Angeal had actually called Genesis...it surprised Sephiroth that he could even get a hold of him, he had assumed the red head was in hiding. But Gen had agreed to help them the moment Angeal explained the situation, having been pretty upset himself about the news of what Hojo was up to. He had set up a sort of distraction, setting off an explosion in the lobby of the tower and setting loose a bunch of those creepy cloned monsters of his. It was the perfect cover for Sephiroth to rescue Adeline without anyone being the wiser. He was making his way to the roof now, Genesis and Angeal were going to take Adeline someplace far away, hopefully far enough Hojo couldn't reach her.

He kicked open the roof access door, the wind was strong there and whipped around them, if he had been a normal man it might have knocked him down. In his arms he heard Adeline whimper softly, her hands curling into the leather of his coat as she shivered from the chill. His friends stood waiting on the helipad, their wings spread out wide, the sign that showed they weren't human after all. "Darling...Your going to go with Genesis and Angeal. They'll protect you, okay?"

The raven in his arms looked up at him with panic in her crimson eyes, "Wh-what about you?! I don't want to leave you! Please! Not now, y-you just returned!"

"I have to stay here, keep up appearances. I promise I'll join you as soon as I can..." He kissed her one last time, before passing her off to Genesis carefully, turning to go back inside and pretend he had been there all along. He had even rehearsed how upset he was going to be when Hojo told him Adeline was missing....But he didn't get far, feeling a hand on his arm, he turned around. Adeline had nearly jumped out of Genesis's arms to stop him, the red head struggling a little to find a comfortable hold on her. "Sephiroth..." His name was a raspy murmured breath that could barely be heard over the howling wind, so many emotions in it, it nearly brought tears to his eyes seeing the raven girl look the way she did. Eye sunken, the dark circles, the off color of her skin. She looked so frail.

She was just far too pale, weighed nearly nothing despite being clearly pregnant, those circles looked as if they might be permanently around her eyes. He wondered how much of it was Hojo's doing and how much was the child taking its nutrients in order to support itself. How much was sorrow that ate her mind and body form his absence. Sephiroth blamed Hojo and himself either way, he couldn't blame his own child for this, it was innocent and unaware. He only prayed his beloved would be okay, that she could recover from this...survive it. She was so fragile right now, both physically and emotionally. It broke his heart to leave her again.

Sephiroth stepped to her, kissing her softly, putting all the love he could into it. He lifted one hand to cup her cheek, the other resting sweetly on her stomach as he caressed it a little. "I promise, I will come for you both." He said to her softly, before stepping back, giving his two friends a stern nod, he watched them fly away with Adeline...Trying to push down the emotions that racked through him when she continued to reach for him over Genesis's shoulder, screaming out to him until they were out of sight. How long would it be before he could see her again?

 

 


	11. Tragically Dumb Apples

The first weeks after rescuing Adeline were hell. Genesis had begun to wonder if the raven girl they had brought with them was the same person. She was sickly, emotional, and prone to panicking when left alone. She was a complete mess and Sephiroth's continued absence was not helping. If it wasn't for Angeal's constant and ever wise encouragement Genesis would have thrown his hands up and kidnapped their silver haired friend if he had thought it would solve the problem. It took them almost a month, plus a few close calls, to get her even remotely normal again.

Slowly, but surely she started crying less, eating more, hell she even started exercising. She spent a lot of time outside, though there wasn't much to do. Benora was a lovely place, that was undeniable. But it was abandoned, just a ghost town of old memories and apple trees. Even given the recent events it was a relaxing place to be, Adeline was not unaffected by the atmosphere there, over the two months she had been there she got plenty of much needed rest and nourishment. The blue apples the town was famous for were the perfect food for her to munch on and in no time she got her strength back, though Hojo had left permanent emotional and physical scars, she was pushing forward. Or trying to. She still broke down at night, often waking from lucid nightmares. But with the support of her friends she was getting past them.

Adeline stood at the window in the small, formerly abandoned, house that she and the others now occupied. Hollander was somewhere in a downstairs room, locked up with his lab stuff, she tended to avoid him at all cost. Outside she could see Genesis practicing, he seemed to train daily, usually with Angeal; But today he was alone. She laid a hand on her stomach, stroking it lightly, every once and awhile she felt the lightest nudge or tickle, which made her smile. She wished Sephiroth could enjoy this with her. The thought brought tears to her eyes, but she swallowed, pushing the sorrow down. She needed to chin up!

She took a deep breath, patting her cheeks, "Alright! Today's the day! I am going to get stronger!" She told herself confidently, marching out the door to where Genesis was practicing with his sword, standing well back for her own safety. "Gen! Can I ask you something?"

The red head paused, lowering his weapon, he looked up at her, eyes questioning. She fidgeted a little, confidence waning a bit, "I...Well...I want you to train me. To fight, I mean! I want to be able to protect myself, so I'm not so much of a burden." Genesis stared at her, expression blank, before a small chuckle left him. "When the war of the beasts brings about worlds end-"

"Don't...quote Loveless...at a time like this. I'm being serious." She interrupted, Genesis only laughed, "As was I. No matter. I will train you as best I can. But there isn't much training I can do whilst your with child, its too dangerous." He replied, sheathing his sword as he faced her, head tilted slightly with an easy smile. It was comforting, despite everything that had happened and how unstable she had been, that Genesis still treated her the same. He was a good friend and she would always cherish him and Angeal for their kindness and support. She prayed Sephiroth was well. Prayed she would some day be able to sit in that apartment again amongst all her friends, Zack and Cloud included. Adeline nodded with understanding, focusing on the red head again, "That's fine...As long as I can protect myself some how."

Genesis hummed, "It's too bad you don't still have that necklace Sephiroth gave you." He commented, leading her inside, trying to think of an easy weapon for her. She frowned with confusion, "My...necklace? Why?" She asked, reaching up to touch her collar bone, missing the small gift. Hojo had taken it from her when he had captured her, she wondered what he had even done with it. "It was a summons materia. A powerful one. But I digress, there's no since worrying about it. I'll lend you one of my materia, it should get you by, maybe some day you'll be able to get the necklace back and be able to use it." He explained, digging through a large crate he had in the living room, straightening up and handing her a few things.

"How about guns? Hand guns are small and easy to use, convenient." Genesis smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder, he guided her away. She looked at the weapons in her hands, two custom hand guns, a bracer and two materia, one green and one red. The red head went on to explain what each did, the green was a cure materia, a mastered one that he was giving her. And the red was a low level fire materia.

_______________________________________________________

They had been training for the past three weeks in an abandoned warehouse, using old cans and bottles as targets, before moving on to the abnormally sized rats running around the town and buildings. It turned out Adeline was a fast learner, she had gotten the hang of a single hand gun in no time at all and before long was trying to use two at once, two was better than one right?

Using Materia was not as easy, it turned out she hadn't been exposed to quiet enough Mako to support a single attack that did much, if any damage. Genesis had none the less kept his word and helped her learn to use them, if nothing else they would serve as a great distraction if she were to be cornered, giving her a chance for escape.

After another month or so she had pretty much gotten guns down pat, Materia...well she did her best, it was to be expected, it wasn't like she was a SOLDIER. Though Genesis found it a little unnerving when she would have sudden improvements in the use of the small stones, something told him it had to do with the baby inside her, that or something Hojo had done was only just presenting itself. Before long he had no doubt her spells would be able to stagger, if not, incapacitate an enemy.

_____________________________________________________________

Adeline and Genesis were sitting in a small room, on the second story of the warehouse, eating their lunch. Or at least the raven was eating hers. She had grown pretty fond of the blue apples in Benora. Gen sat near the windows, he seemed almost out of it that day, he wasn't even quoting Loveless like he usually did...He just sat there reading the little pink book with a solemn expression.

The raven woman didn't think much on it, nibbling her apple in a corner, a hole in the roof providing her with sunlight. She spent a lot of time in the sun these days, after being locked up for three months one found a new appreciation for it. She hoped someday that she and Sephiroth would live somewhere sunny, she wanted the baby to never no the darkness she grew up around or the darkness she had been trapped in. She hummed softly, stroking her now very swollen stomach. Silence reigned in the room, before a distant whiring caught Adeline's attention, she stood and walked to a window, looking out. Before she even spotted the source of the noise,"Run..." She looked at Genesis confused, "Get out of here, Shin-Ra's here...Hollander is waiting with a truck outside."

"But...what about you and Angeal...?"

Genesis smiled at her, it seemed almost sad, a heartbreaking smile. "You needn't worry about monsters." She frowned, taking a step away from the window, she wanted to question what he meant, but seeing the helicopters land near by kept her from it. The small woman darted out of the room, rushing down the stairs as fast as she dared, being six and a half months along she was fairly sized so walking and running proved awkward and difficult. Especially with the added guns attached to her hips, she didn't regret them though, they gave her confidence. She wasn't helpless anymore. She only wished she could use her newly learned skills to put Hojo in a hole so deep no one would ever think to look.

When she made it outside she paused, looking around, she could hear distant yelling. Fear tickled through her veins like ice, red eyes looking around for Hollander in panic, but not at first finding him. Where the hell was that lazy moron?!

"There she is!"

She turned, seeing several men in suits, some in the uniforms of SOLDIER, coming done the path toward the warehouse. She took a step backward, cursing, where the hell was Hollander?! A gun shot sounded, luckily missing her, she started to run, ducking behind some crates. More shots went off...With a growl she unholstered one of her own guns, "Gaia give me strength..." She mumbled, flinching when a shot hit the corner of the crate, scattering splinters. Taking a steadying breath, she shifted fast, pointing her gun over the crate and firing back. Hearing a satisfying yell, she had managed to hit someone!

This went on for some time, she heard someone say something about taking her alive, but it seemed no one was listening. She ducked down to reload, hands shaking slightly, she was NOT going back to Shin-Ra! A sudden screaming caught her attention, followed by the sounds of a truck which sped up beside where she was sheltered, "Hollander! You idiot! Where the hell were you?!" She yelled at the cowardly scientist, she had gotten to know him a bit during her stay in Benora, he was nut, but trustworthy enough for a scientist. She doubted she would ever trust doctors or scientist again. He gave her a nervous look, "C-Come on!" He called to her from the driver seat, the gunshots starting back up ten fold.

Adeline waited a moment, taking a deep breath, it was now or never. Putting her gun away, she rushed out, grabbing the side of the truck to hoist herself into the back, the world seemed to slow to a crawl...

She didn't feel the pain at first, though she knew what had happened, her eyes going wide in horror, seeing blood splatter across the back glass of the trucks cab. She collapsed into the back of the truck, clutching the bleeding wound in her stomach, Hollander hitting the gas and the world speeding up again. She cried out, the pain of the wound was nothing compared to the fear in her heart.

__________________________________________________

She went in and out of consciousness, she could feel only cold and numbness, listening to Hollander's voice as shouted to himself above her. She could smell the blood, thick in the air, the darkness fading in and out. At some point she opened her eyes, looking up at the ceiling of some unknown place. Soft voice's drifted into her, hearing the words, tears slipping slowly down her face as she lay there. "What about the baby Hollander?! Did the baby make it?" Genesis sounded angry...

"I did the best I could! I swear I did! But she was bleeding out, I couldn't save them both...I-I'm sorry."

She heard someone sigh, "Has she woken up? Will she be alright?"

"I think so...the wound it...its already starting to close and its only been a few days."

Adeline turned onto her side slowly, back to the cracked door in the room she occupied, closing her eyes. "I-I'm so...sorry...I failed....I failed both of you..." She mumbled, sobbing herself to sleep.

She wasn't sure how long she slept, but when she awoke she was in a small, shabby room, laying on an old bed. Sitting up, she stared around the room blankly, one hand reaching up to lay on her now flat stomach. Her heart ached, she had to bite back the sob threatening to bubble up, gritting her teeth. A broken sound left her, she couldn't help but feel like this was her fault, that she was failer. A scream left her, filled with all the pain, guilt, anguish and sorrow in her soul. She would never forgive Shin-Ra for this. She vowed it to herself. She owed it to her lost child and to Sephiroth and her friends. They would pay for all the pain they had caused...

Genesis stood on the other side of the bedroom door, having come running at the scream, but he hesitated. He watched her through the cracked of the slightly open gateway, it broke even his heart to see her this way, to know what she had lost and why. He knew Sephiroth would be devastated, he had no doubts of that. The read head turned away, this made his resolve all the more concrete, he would destroy Shin-Ra for this. For all of it.

 


	12. A Goodbye and A hope for something new!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, so here's the thing. I've not persay lost interest in this story, but I've not liked how its turned out. This is why I've not updated in so very long, I'm not happy with it. So, given some fresh motivation after playing Dissidia, I am going to post up the final chapters I had written all right here. And I am going to rewrite the entire story, AGAIN. So look forward to it. And again, I am sorry. Thank you all for putting up with me for so long! I certainly hope you'll join me for the re-write. 
> 
> Just a for-warning, parts of this are from the sequal I had intended to write originally.

A year later...

Genesis waited. High in the Nebel Mountain range, far from Shin-Ra or anyone that might try and attack, lay a small cottage. Housed and protected within was Adeline. Down below, there was a small hamlet of a town, Nebelheim. He knew there was a mansion there, one that once housed Dr. Ghast's laboratory, now lay abandoned. Gen had caught wind the previous day that Shin-Ra had sent SOLDEIR's to the town, just as he had hoped, to investigate the strange creatures around the Nebel Reactor. Creatures Genesis himself had released there...

He hadn't needed to wait long, sitting on the steps leading up to a door with a large sign proclaiming 'JENOVA' over it. Deep within the reactor, he rolled a single blue apple between his gloved hands. Listening to the approaching foot steps, he looked up, seeing the silver haired man he had been waiting for, he had not yet been noticed. Zack was with him as the two looked into one of the many pods in the room, the silverette opening it and allowing one of the monster to tumble out, horror in his eyes.

"I knew from the beginning...I was not like other children. Mine was a special existence, but this...this was not what I meant....Am I...A human being?" Sephiroth spoke quietly, looking at his hands, Zack stood not but a few feet away, his expression sad and just as confused.

Genesis stood, "No such luck. You are a monster." He shot few Firaga at the pair, knocking Zack away easily, Sephiroth only swiped the strike away nimbly and looked up at him. Genesis floated down, stopping about six or seven steps up from the silverette, "Sephiroth, you were the greatest monster ever created by the JENOVA project."

"Genesis! So you are alive!" Zack said, standing up, he took in the sight of the once proud red general. Genesis looked as if his color was vanishing, his hair was nearly white, his clothes even looked faded, his black wing nearly gray. Like a piece of colored paper left in the sun too long. "I suppose I am, if you can call this living." Genesis replied, turning to the raven haired SOLDIER, he looked so much like Angeal. Genesis could not help thinking that Angeal would have been so proud of the man Zack had grown up to be.

Sephiroth shook his head, "What is the Jenova project?" He asked, changing the subject, his heart raced. He need to know, but was he really prepared for the truth? Genesis turned to him slowly, "The JENOVA project..." He began, "Was the term used for all experiments relating to the use of Jenova cells..."

____________________________________________

Up the mountain, unaware of what was happening in the reactor, Adeline stood outside the small house she had lived in for the past year with Hollander and Genesis. The first months after losing her baby, a son, she had shut down almost completely. Her heart so broken she had thought it could not be fixed, but Genesis had tried to encourage her, reminded her she still had to live, for no one else than for herself...and for Sephiroth.

Slowly, she took up her training again, once she had recovered from her injuries, Genesis began teaching her to use others weapons besides guns. Like knives, she had a knack it seemed for close range combat, which came as a surprise to her friend. Everyday she practiced, from dawn till sunset, either by herself or against the monsters that crawled all over the mountain range. Growing stronger steadily...preparing herself. She intended to fight, someday, when the time was right. She was determined to be ready.

This day she stood watching the sunset, her sons grave at her feet, a small wooden cross with the name 'Nyx' etched into the surface. She wore a red, sleeveless vest top, which was open up to just beneath her breasts, revealing the scar from the gunshot that had cost her her child. Knee length black shorts and red combat boots finished her look, her hair much longer than before, it reached nearly her elbows. She wondered idely what Sephiroth would think...would he recognize her? Would he still love her?

Adeline closed her eyes, picturing his smiling face, she could almost hear his voice in her head. Just talking, about silly things, like chocobo's and spiders....

_______________________________________________

"I don't know what images you've conjured up in your head about your mother...But...Jenova was excavated from a two thousand year old rock layer. She's a monster." Genesis declared, ignoring Zack's pleading voice, Sephiroth's expression was one of devastation."Sephiroth...I need your help. My body is continuing to degrade." Sephiroth tried to block out the red head's voice, block out the horrible things he was telling him, about him being a perfect monster...He shook his head, "What do you want from me?"

"Your traits can not be copied unto others. Your genes can't be defused. Therefore, your body can not degrade." Genesis explained, pausing a moment, as if judging the silverettes reaction. He walked around Sephiroth, so that he could see his face better, "Share your cells with me. My friend, your desire, is the bringer of life, the Gift of the Goddess." He held up the blue apple in his hand, toward Sephiroth, his own expression expectant, hopeful.

Sephiroth faced him a moment, looking at the apple, then Genesis's face. Before his teal eyes looked up the stairs to the door above them, at the label proclaiming his supposed mothers name, something seeming to flash in his eyes. "Wither your words...Are lies created to deceive me..." His expression darkened to one of anger, turning back to Genesis, "Or the truth, that I have sought all my life...It makes no difference." He knocked the apple from the others hand, Genesis looked stunned, surprised by his friends rejection. "You will rot." Sephiroth declared, narrowing his teal eyes, he turned and walked away.

Genesis growled softly, "I see...perfect monster, indeed." He turned away, looking up a moment at that cursed door, listening to Sephiroth's retreating steps for a moment. Before turning halfway, watching the mans back, "She lost the child...In Benora. One of the SOLDIER's Shin-Ra sent to capture her shot her, the baby died almost instantly. I thought you should know."

Sephiroth paused, his hands forming tight fists, he turned his head slightly to Genesis, but his silver bangs hide his face from the other. Even from there Genesis could see the sorrow coming off the man in waves, the slightest tremble in his frame as he spoke, the words sounding hollow; Broken. "And Adeline...did she...?"

"Die? No...she lives...but her heart is fractured. She is safe...I kept my promise."

Sephiroth walked out, a mixture of relief and sorrow in his heart and something nudging the back of his mind painfully...

_________________________________________________

Sephiroth spent the next several days closed up in the old mansion in Nebelheim, reading old reports and files. All about himself and the truth of his own existence. The grief and horror that filled him, it was enough to drive even the sanest man mad. And then it happened, standing in Ghast's old study, he lowered the book he held. He heard that voice...

'Be calm my son...I will aid you. I will help you get the vengeance your heart desires...you need only give yourself unto me....'

Sephiroth flinched, grabbing his head, he cried out, falling to his knees. Pain exploded in his head like a grenade going off in a small room, crying out, he tried to fight the feeling washing over him. His blue-green eyes looked up the ceiling, flashing back and forth, from normal to snake like...before settling. His body stilled, hands slowly dropping to his sides, laughter, dark and maddening, filled the room. Echoing through the stillness of the mansion...

______________________________________________________

Adeline stood at the sink, washing the dishes from dinner she had made, Hollander sat at the table behind her, along with Genesis who had not spoken to either of them in days. She had no idea what was wrong with him. She knew, however, that he was very sick. He had explained many things her some time ago, about how he, Angel, and Sephiroth had all been apart of a similar experiment. Adeline did disagree with one thing he told her though, she did not think any of them were monsters. Night had long since fallen and that high in the mountains, where city lights didn't reach, it was abnormal for there to be such a brilliant glow beyond the windows of the cottage. The raven woman pushed some hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear, she leaned over a bit to look out the window at the sink.

Far below, in the valley, she could see Nebelheim. Awash in an orange. "Genesis...You should take a look at this." She said softly, worry in her voice, she walked to the front door. Stepping out she could see better what she thought she saw in the house, could hear better what she did not want to hear. The screams, deafening in there volume. Nebelheim was in flames. She felt Genesis come up behind her, "We should help." She said, moving to head toward the town, frowning when Gen only turned away to walk back inside. "There's no help for them now. He knows the truth and he will not stop." He said cryptically, not looking at her, he walked passed the house. Her heart stuttered a beat.

"What? Who? Genesis, answer me!" She demanded, turning to face him fully, her back now to the brilliant orange glow below them. He turned partly to her, though he kept his eyes on the ground, "Sephiroth now knows that he is a monster." Was all he said, before spreading his graying wing in a flourish of feathers, the wind picking up around them as he vanished into the night.

Adeline stood frozen for only a moment, his words echoing in her head. Turning, she made her way down the mountain as fast as she could, tripping a few times, but she ignored the scrapes and bruises she received. She had only one thing on her mind, finding Sephiroth. Disbelief in her heart, her soul. This could not be his doing. He was a hero! Not a villain...

The raven paused, she was only half way to the town. Leaning over, hands on her knees, stopping to catch her breath in the clearing near the reactor. It was here she spotted someone dressed in a SOLDIER uniform going inside. Hesitating only for a second, she followed them, they had to be following whoever had done this, be it Sephiroth or another, if what was happening in the town was really his doing, she needed to know the truth.

She didn't want to think he was capable of attacking innocent people, of burning down an entire town that had done nothing to him, she wanted to believe he was still the hero she had fallen in love with. That he would always be a hero...

Inside the reactor she lost track of the SOLDIER she had followed, but the sounds of fighting were enough to go by, eventually leading her to a room with many pods and stairs leading up to an open door. Above the door was a large metal label, "JENOVA....?" Adeline walked slowly up the steps, glancing over, she saw a girl laying there against the pods, but didn't stop. Hearing the sounds of fighting growing closer, she recognized Zack's voice, even after all this time. Her heart stumbled, it had been so long since she had seen her friends, other than Genesis. Would they still be the same?

Then she heard it, Sephiroth was speaking, his voice was angry...so very angry. A coldness there she didn't recognize. She could not remember ever hearing him sound like that, it was like a totally different person. There was sudden blur, a deafening crash, sparks flying. And when she lifted her head to see what had happened her heart sank, "ZACK?!" Adeline rushed up the stairs, stopping beside the pod Zack had been thrown into it, he seemed dazed, only a soft grown leaving him. Adeline climbed over the railing to reaching him, his eyes fluttering softly as he looked at her, a weak smile on his lips. "Adeline....is that...really you?" He chocked out, coughing up blood, she fought tears, taking his hand. "It's me..." She mumbled, her heart breaking at the smile he gave her, "They...they told us you were killed...I...I'm glad your alive..." He shut his eyes, seeming to have fainted, Adeline stood, wiping the dampness from her eyes. Was...Sephiroth really capable of this? Or hurting those who cared for him? Swallowing, she pulled all the courage together she could, she had to face him. To stop this madness...

She turned toward the room Zack had been thrown from, only to be stopped by a hand on her arm, she looked back at the spikey haired raven. "Don't....he's...he's not himself anymore...He's lost it." Zack managed, before losing consciousness at last, his hand sliding off of her arm to land beside him with a soft thud. Adeline shook herself, forcing her sorrow away, she needed to be brave. She had to be, she had to try and stop Sephiroth...

She walked into into the room apprehensively, her eyes following the path of a large, winding pipe that lead up to an equally large glass tube. In front of the tube stood a tall silverette, clad all in familiar black leather. "Sephiroth...?" She spoke loud enough he could hear her over the machines and the hum of the reactor, but her voice was breathless, shocked. She had honestly hoped she wouldn't find Sephiroth there. That it would be someone else who just happened to have a similar voice. "Why...?" She came closer to him, reaching out to him with trembling fingers, searching his eyes.

He turned to her, watched her coming toward him, her eyes hurt and yet still held love in there crimson depths. His expression was cold and held nothing, "Sephiroth...Why? Why would you do this? Zack...the town...Why? I thought you stood for Honor...Pride...not this..." She continued, stopping only a few feet away, searching his face for something, anything of the man she had fallen in love with. Reaching up and cupping his face in her hands, but it was not love she found as pain pierced her like wildfire, eyes going wide, she looked down at the sword now cutting through her middle, shaking hands falling to tough the sticky red liquid slowly carving a path down her stomach from the wound he had created.

She looked back up, the betrayal felt like daggers in her heart, "Sephiroth...I....I thought you loved me..." She felt a chill at the smile she received, he laughed softly, tilting his head. There was madness in his eyes, "He did love you...but his heart, mind, and body are now mine. And with it we will rule this planet!" The voice was not his own, another spoke in it, under it. He flung her away, off the end of the sword and into the wall near the door, she cried out on the impact. Coughing, it had knocked the air from her lungs. She grit her teeth, clutching the wound in her stomach, trying to stay conscious.

Sephiroth turned away, smiling softly, he walked back up to the tube. Laying his hands on the surface, he gazed up at the being inside, "Its okay now Mother..." He whispered, blinking, eyes wide. A crack splintered up the glass, the silverette grunted softly, looking down. Angeal's...no, Zack's sword was protruding through him and into the glass. Sephiroth grit his teeth against the pain, "Who...is this...?" He asked, watching the blood dripping down the glass.

"Give me back...My mother...Tifa...My village...friends...Zack!" A soft voice growled, the words cracking with the heaviness of the speakers anguish. His hands griping the sword were shaking slightly, "I used to respect you, admire you. YOU WERE MY FRIEND!!!" The voice was young, one of the third classes that had come on the mission with them, Sephiroth vaguely recognized it, somewhere deep inside.

"You...Bastard..." Sephiroth growled, his fingers attempting to grip the glass he was leaning into, a gasp leaving him as the sword was pulled out of him with sickeningly wet sound. Sephiroth slid down the glass, smearing it, gasping in pain. His long silvery hair falling around him, the ends soaking up some of his own blood as it pooled beneath him. He collapsed there on the floor, the boy who had stabbed him turned away, "Zack!" He cried softly, rushing out of the room without looking back.

Leaving Sephiroth there, in a pool of his own blood. No one would ever guess the turmoil going on inside his mind. The fight...Jenova held onto his mind, refusing to give him back his body...his soul crying out in anguish at what she had made him do. To his friends, Adeline!

'At least let me speak to her!'

His soul pleaded with the alien controlling him, it only laughed at him, but it eased up on his mind for a moment. Was she...going to let him...?

Sephiroth lifted his head, grunting from the pain, he held the wound in his stomach as he stood. He stumbling over to where Adeline lay, clutching at a wound of her own, hazy red eyes looking up to meet his teal ones. He could see the smallest inkling of fear, the sorrow far out weighing it. It broke his heart, to know he was the cause of all the pain she had suffered of the past two years. He knelt in front of her, leaning forward, he lifted one hand to rest against her cheek. Ignoring the way the motion had smeared his own blood on her. "Adeline....forgive me...please...Know that I will  ** _ALWAYS_**  love you...I will keep the promise I made to you...I will come for you one day...." He whispered to her, wiping away a tear from her cheek, he kissed her gently, before casting a Sleep spell over her. He could only pray that when they saw each other next he would be himself, that he would not have to hurt her again. Someday he would make this right, he would give her all the happiness in the world, all the joy she deserved.

* * *

'Adeline....? She's weakening...'

It was dark, so very dark, it had been so for far to long. She couldn't remember much, pain, heart ache, the feeling of floating. The constant feeling of floating. And the silence, up till that moment. She recognized the voice, deep and velvety, it had once warmed her heart to hear it. Now it just confused her. Why was it there? Why after all this time?

'It won't be long now...she's weakening.'

'Who?' She tried to ask, but couldn't find her voice, somehow the other seemed to understand.

'You will understand soon Adeline...'

'I will?' She questioned, feeling uneasy not knowing what was going on, but something about that voice...she felt she could trust it. That it would never lie to her.

'Wake up....you need to wake up.'

Adeline's eyes fluttered, the first thing she realized was that she was tired. And very cold. As she slowly come to or as to as she could, she realized she was cold because she was wet, and that there was a lot of glass around her. She was laying on a cold stone floor. Her body felt so heavy and her mind seemed foggy. It was hard to focus on any one thing. Her body seemed to move all on its own, slowly standing up and finding its way to the door. She vaguely realized she was in an old mansion of some sort, she figured she must have been in Nebelheim, if the town outside was any indication. It seemed familiar to her at least, but why was she there? How had she even gotten there?

___________________________________________________________

Her feet carried her for what must have been miles, all the way to a cliff, over looking the wasteland that surrounded Midgar. Even from there she could see the city was in ruins, long since abandoned. Her mind at least felt clearer as she stood there, taking in the sight of the place she had once lived. But it was not the decrepit city that captured and held her attention. It was the familiar looking sword rusting in the ground in front of her, sticking up like a grave marker, she knew, somehow, without anyone telling that Zack had never reached Midgar. That he must have escaped Nebelheim and this was as far as he had gotten. Shin-Ra was likely responsible, probably trying to cover up Sephiroth's attack on the small hamlet by taking out its witnesses.

The raven haired girl fell to her knees before the sword, one hand laying on the rusted surface, she couldn't help the tears. All her friends...everyone she had ever known...was gone. She had never felt so truly alone than in that moment.

'I will come for you Adeline, I promise.'

Adeline flinched, feeling a sharp pain in her side, clutching the place and gritting her teeth against it as it crashed over her in waves. Memories flashed through her mind, of her friends, of Sephiroth, of that horrid voice she had heard combined with his in Nebelheim. She cried out, looking down at the hand that had clutched her side, seeing some sort of black ooze on her fingers, before her mind went blank.

_________________________________________________

It was evening when she awoke, roused by something wet and cold nudging her cheek, the smallest smile crossed her lips at the feeling. Blinking tiredly, she looked up to find a large gray wolf staring down at her. Seeing that she had woken, it licked her cheek, sitting down and wagging its tail. The raven sat up, looking at the dog a few moments, wondering where it had come from. Somehow it felt familiar, like she knew it from somewhere. She looked down at herself, only then realizing she was wearing scrubs. On the shirt she noticed an inky black stain, in the same place she had been feeling so much pain earlier. Lifting the hem of the white shirt, she examined the place that had hurt so badly.

She found an odd looking black blotchy mark there, like a bruise, but it oozed a bit. "What the hell is this?" She mumbled to herself, touching it, flinching slightly when it stung. She pulled her fingers away, they were coated in a black discharge of some kind. "Gross..." She wondered what it was. It was right near the scar from where Sephiroth had stabbed her. The scar made her think back on that day, on the last thing Sephiroth had told her. That he was going to keep his promise. She let her shirt go, just sitting there, staring distantly in thought. She wondered randomly if their apartment was still there...or if that too was gone.

Adeline was startled from her thoughts, hearing the sound of motor bikes approaching, she got to her feet calmly. Which she only just realized were bare. The wolf barked at her, biting onto the scrubs pants she wore and tugging her toward some rocks. Did he want her to hide? She followed the animals lead, ducking behind the rocks, she waited. From where she was she watched three green motor bikes pull up, whoever was riding on the center one kicked Zack's sword from the ground unceremoniously. Anger welled up inside her and she started to come out, go tell that asshole what for, but the dog stopped her by tugging at her pants again.

The raven bit back a growl, crouching back down, she looked more closely at the riders and froze. Crimson eyes went wide, her heart skipping a beat. She was frozen by the sight of the features all three riders possessed...They all had silver hair. An exact shade of...An image of Sephiroth passed through her mind. But how? How was it possible they looked like him? Sephiroth had been an only child, he had told her that himself, he didn't even know his parents. And the only child he, they, had had was dead. Buried in a tiny grave on the summit of the Nebel mountains.

So how could these three look so much like him...unless...Hojo had something to do with it! He had to! Adeline was so preoccupied in her thoughts she ALMOST didn't catch the conversation of one of the men was having on their phones, she caught a few words, like 'Mother' and 'Shin-Ra'. So they were like Sephiroth...in more than looks...but how? She was still confused as to who 'Mother' was.

Two of the motor bikes sped down the cliff, they seemed to be chasing something, what looked to be another bike, a black one. Adeline turned her eyes to the rider who was now alone, she wanted answers, even if it meant getting hurt. The raven took a breath, calming her nerves and putting on a brave face. She stepped out from hiding, ignoring the wolf trying to stop her, "Hey! Pal, you got a lot of nerve defacing that grave! Who the hell are you?!" She shouted, her hands fists at her sides, only then did she really think about the fact she was unarmed. She only hoped all that training in the mountains would help her if a fight broke out here.

The rider had shoulder length hair, out of the three she had seen he seemed to be the youngest, but when their eyes met, she could tell he was not only the one in charge but without a doubt the cruelest. However, something told her, she didn't know what, that this was not how he was for real. She felt he must be like Sephiroth had that day. Like someone else was pulling the strings.

She came back to reality quickly, taking a defensive stance as the silver haired male stepped off his bike, he seemed to be about to speak, but paused. His teal eyes seemed drawn to something, he moved toward her, focused on whatever it was. Adeline took a step back, but he moved faster, grabbing the hem of her shirt and jerking it up. "Hey!" She blushed deeply, staggering a little in shock, the hell was he doing?!

"Sister..." He smiled strangely, letting her shirt go, stepping back. There was a creepy amount of joy in his eyes, a sick sort of joy mixed with something more genuine. Hope? Adeline frowned, eyes narrowed, "The hell? I don't have siblings..." She replied bitingly, to which he only chuckled, "But it's true, we both share Mother's cells. All of us who share her cells are family." He explained, walking around her, she kept a close eye on him and the sword strapped to his hips.

"Who are you...?" She asked, trying again to get some real answer out of him, "You may call me Kadaj. Your name...is Adeline." She flinched, eyes wide, "How...do you know that?" Her voice was breathless, watching as he walked in front of her again, "Mother told me so, she tells me everything. She's even told me to tell you your invited."

"Invited to what?"

"Why...my reunion." He answered, spreading his arms wide, turning around with a spin to his step. She watched him walk to the edge of the cliff, watching the other two down below, before raising his hand. A signal? Most likely. She just stood there, unable to speak, her mind seemed to have shut down. Like something was stopping her. Kadaj got onto his back, smiling one last time at her, a soft chuckle leaving him, he sped off. Leaving her alone on the cliff with more questions than answers.

____________________________________________

Adeline eventually left the cliff, wandering down to the ruins of Midgar. She walked through the almost silent rubble, hearing the haunting sound the wind made when it blew over the broken buildings and bent metal. There was hardly anything left standing, she couldn't even find a way onto the plates, the ones still up there at least. She new, somehow, that their home was gone. So she wandered aimlessly, thinking, uncertain of what to do.

It was after night fall she came across an old church, she remembered it from when she was a young, back when she was homeless for a bit. It had not changed much over the years, somehow all the destruction had missed it. She walked up the steps, seeing a light from inside, she tilted her head curiously. Pushing open one of the large doors, it creaked on its hinges loudly, echoing through the empty building and around the area outside. Inside she noticed a lamp, but it was the sounded of someone or something moving that made her cautious, slowly stepping inside. "I'm not armed...I...I just need a place to rest...please?" She looked around, trying to find whoever was there, eyes locking onto something as it moved into the light of the lamp.

Her breath caught, hands going to her mouth, was it possible?! "Cloud...?" She asked, eyes watering as she moved closer. The blonde before her looked much the same as the last she had seen him, but he was taller, stronger. And seemed so filled with a sadness. His dark blue eyes were was wide as her own, filled with shock and disbelief, "Adeline...? It...it can't be!"

The silence stretched only a few moments before the two closed the gap in a warm hug, "I-I thought everyone was...dead...Oh Gaia Cloud, I'm so happy to see you!" The raven whispered, chocking back the tears, she pulled back to look at him. "Did anyone else-" She didn't get the words out, cut off by the way Cloud looked away from her, stepping back. "I'm sorry Adeline...I-I'm sorry."

She just stood there, staring at him, before looking away. Taking a shallow breath, ignoring the aching in her heart, "It's...its okay Cloud, its not your fault." She replied, moving to sit done on one of the many pews left standing, leaning on her elbows, staring at the floor darkly. "I...I had a feeling that...they there were gone. That  _he_  was gone..." Cloud shook his head slowly, lifting a hand to his face, "You don't understand...I killed him. I killed Sephiroth!"

Her heart broke at the words, it was amazing how many times a single heart could be broken. She swallowed hard on the pain, "It's okay Cloud, I don't...I don't blame you. I-AGH!?" She cried out, grabbing her side as the pain flared to life there, doubling over. She tumbled to the wooden floor, trying to catch her breath, curling into a ball. The world faded away...

_________________________________________________

When she awoke it was early in the morning, the sun had only just risen. Cloud was still there, but preparing to leave. He gave her an address, telling her he had a friend there that could help her. She tried to talk to him, ask questions, but he wouldn't tell her much. He did give her the pendant Sephiroth had got her on their first date, told her in a chocked voice that Sephiroth had given it to him before he died, told him to return it to her. He blamed himself for Sephiroth's death. But Adeline didn't. She didn't know what had happened to lead to the end, but she knew Cloud's decision was likely the only choice he felt he had. The raven stood on the steps of the church, watching the blonde's bike speed off, wondering if they would still be friends after all this. She wanted to. But she wondered if Cloud did.

 

* * *

 

Adeline wandered most the morning through the streets of Edge, surprised how busy the city was, let alone how large. Eventually she came to the address on the scrape of paper Cloud had given her, walking inside, she heard someone call out. "We're closed!" Followed by footsteps coming down what she assumed must be stairs, before a woman appeared behind the bar at the back of the room, looking a little annoyed. She was around Adeline's height, maybe a little taller, with dark hair and eyes. Adeline cleared her throat, running a hand through her wild hair, feeling a little awkward. She could only imagine what this lady was thinking. "Uh...Cloud sent me to this address, said someone her could help me." She explained, watching the woman's eyes turn wide and then narrow, looking suspicious.

"How do you know Cloud?" She asked, coming around the bar, stalking toward her. Adeline stiffened, feeling uncomfortable about the way this woman was looking at her. "It's...complicated. M-Maybe I should just go..." The smaller girl turned to leave, but was cut off by the other woman, who moved with lightening speed to block her path. "I've got time, start talking."

She swallowed, taking a step back, her stance moving to one of defense; Though she didn't notice. "Alright...I knew Cloud when he was working for Shin-Ra. I met him years ago through some friends, Zack and...others." She left out Sephiroth, not certain of this woman or how she might feel about him. Something told her not to say anything yet. "Say I believe you...how come he's never mentioned you?"

"I-I don't know. I mean...I never saw Cloud again after I was kidnapped by Shin-Ra's goons." Adeline was not liking this, she just wanted to leave, surely this woman wouldn't be of that much help?! The other woman straightened, seeming to relax, get curious. "What did Shin-Ra want with you? And you better tell me the truth."

Adeline sighed, growled really, glaring at the woman. Her hands formed fists at her sides, she didn't want to think about that, talk about it. "You want the truth? Fine." She walked over to one of the booths in the bar, sliding into a seat and waiting for the other woman to join her, seeing as she was not going to let her leave. She was not sure she could trust her body not to do what it had last night. "I was dating his son. He wanted to use our unborn child for one of his sick experiments and when I refused to even come into work, he had me kidnapped and locked up in his lab. Happy? I spent three months in that hell before I was rescued and spirited off by some one my friends."

The other woman frowned deeply, looking like she might be regretting asking, "I didn't think Hojo had a son." Adeline raised a brow, so it really wasn't common knowledge? She looked away, "Sephiroth." She answered the question with only that, not meeting the others eyes, folding her hands in her lap. "We were close friends, he saved my life twice. I...I loved him dearly. He rescued me from that hell, but I don't think I've ever really left it." She continued, unable to stop the words that seemed to be flowing from her like a waterfall, "I lost everything I've ever loved. My home, my friends, my son...him. I just woke up yesterday. I've nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Please...? Help me." Her voice broke on the last words, she hadn't even realized she was crying again, looking across at the raven woman.

The other's expression softened, to something like pity, "I'm...sorry." She replied after a few minutes, before clearing her throat and smiling gently, "Um, lets get you cleaned up first, I'm sure I've got some spare clothes that would fit you. Follow me." She stood, moving to go back up the stairs behind the bar, before clapping her hands once and turning around, seeming to realize something. "Oh, my names Tifa by the way."

The smaller girl blinked, recognizing the name, "You lived in Cloud's home town right? He told me about you...Um...my names Adeline." She told the other girl, smiling weakly. She followed Tifa up the stairs to a small bedroom, listening to her talk, telling her about the homes layout and such. That should could stay as long as she liked, take Cloud's old room since he didn't use it. She thanked her, but was distracted, looking into an open door. On the wall across from her pictures were tacked up all over the place over a small desk littered in papers and documents. The images made her heart pick up speed, recognizing the black blotches show on different people and children. She was not the only one with that mark? Walking to the desk for a closer look, her eyes fell on one the documents, picking it up she read over it quietly.

Adeline swallowed, "You have it...don't you?" She heard Tifa ask, not at first answering her. She put the paper down, leaning on the desk for support, she thought she might collapse right there. "Is there...really no cure...?"

"I'm sorry."

___________________________________________________

Adeline stood in the bathroom, having just gotten out of the shower, she stared at herself in the mirror. She hadn't changed much, at least she didn't think she had. Other than having more scars, her eyes seeming so much less lively. Her eyes turned to the black mark on her stomach and side, it was much larger than she had thought, that or it was spreading. It wasn't hurting as much now, not like yesterday. The raven couldn't help but wonder if she would see Sephiroth again before this disease killed her. Who was she kidding? He was dead. And people don't come back from the dead.

She lifted a hand to her face, smiling darkly, "I just want to wake up from this nightmare...PLEASE?!" She ground out, slamming her fist on the counter top, ignoring how it hurt. After getting dressed, in a white tank top and black shorts, she went the bedroom she was using, which turned out to be the one with the desk full of reminders she was going to die. Laying back on the bed, she put her arm over her eyes and sighed, wondering what she had ever done to deserve this hell.

"You have it too?"

She blinked at the small voice, sitting up to look at the open door, seeing a young boy standing there. Adeline frowned, pulling her tank down to cover the mark better, pulling her knees up. "Yeah..." Her voice was soft, eyes watching the boy, he looked maybe ten or twelve. "What's your name?"

"Denzel."

"Adeline. It's nice to meet you..." The boy walked over to her, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at the floor as he kicked his feet a little. "It's not so bad." He said, trying to sound confident about it, but she could tell he didn't feel that way. She felt, bad. Her she was aching over it, but this was a child, he was looking at missing a whole life time. She shouldn't be wallowing in her sorrow and self pity, she should be trying to do something. Anything! She smiled, brightly, feeling like a new fire had ignited in her. "You know what, it isn't so bad! We shouldn't be sad, we should try to live each day up, even if its our last. So cheer up kiddo." She told him, pulling the kid into a hug and jumping off the bed. "I think I know what I'm going to do now."

Denzel blinked at her, bewildered and confused, "What?"

"I'm going to find answers."

______________________________________

The next day she spent with Tifa, the other woman more than happy to help her put herself back together, in a manner of speaking. They went to a few shops, found her some proper clothes and even some new weapons, a couple of hand guns and some knives. Afterward Tifa took Marlene, a young girl that lived at the bar like Denzel, to run an errand. Leaving Adeline to do as she pleased. She ended up spending several hours on the roof, training until she was too tired to even move. It was around sunset she fell asleep up there, relaxing against a vent....

She felt so strange, not like floating in water, but in nothingness, yet being surrounded by anything and everything all at once. She looked around herself, everything was bathed in an odd green light, it was...oddly soothing. Adeline looked down at her hands, she felt so cold, so empty.

'It's going to be alright.'

That voice again. She didn't answer, it was hard to believe it would ever really be okay again. She had lost everything, she was dying...She felt the strong hands, before she saw them, reach around from behind her and lace their fingers with her own. Those hands pulled her arms so that whomever it was was hugging her against a strong chest, she felt she knew who it was too and a happy and aching warmth spread through her, she wanted to cry.

'You need to help them...'

"Who...?" She asked confused, frowning, just wanting to pretend all of the past years had never happened. That when she opened her eyes she would be laying in his room, in his arms.

'Those boys...she's leading them down a dangerous path...if she isn't stopped, they will lose their lives.'

"She...you mean...Jenova?"

'Yes...she's getting weaker.'

Adeline opened her eyes, staring into the green glow that surrounded them, "I can't fight her...I'm not a SOLDIER...I'm not strong like you were."

'No, your so much stronger. You can defeat her.'

She sniffled a little, closing her eyes and pretending she was sitting on their couch, in that long forgotten apartment. "I don't want to be alone anymore..."

'Just a little longer love...I made a promise, remember? I will come for you.'

_______________________________________________

Adeline awoke with a start, sitting straight up, had it only been a dream? OR did it mean more than that? She ran a hand through her hair, looking out the window, she had way over slept. She looked at her phone, a gift from Tifa, it was the next afternoon. Sighing, she rubbed her face, before getting up. Going inside, she cleaned up and dressed in a form fitting white tank, loose black sweater and shorts, slipping on her new combat boots. Walking down stairs she looked around for Tifa, but found the bar closed and empty. Their was no one around. Not even Denzel or Marlene. That seemed very strange...

She moved to go back upstairs, pausing, she caught the sound of movement above her. Frowning, Adeline walked up to the third floor, leaning her ear to the only door there, the kids room. She caught the sounds of voices, Cloud's...and Tifa's. She wondered what was going on, their conversation sounded intense.

Adeline decided not to intrude and turned away, only to come face to face with two men in suits, one was dark skinned and bald. The other man had wild red hair and wore goggles..."You!" She recognized him in an instant and her fist shot out, connecting with his nose. He cried out, grabbing it, blood spattering everywhere. "The hell was that for?!" The red head cried, the door behind Adeline opening, its occupants looking confused.

"Your the sorry fucking Shin-Ra Turk that kidnapped me and delivered me to Hojo! Your telling me you don't remember that?!" She yelled, making a move to beat the snot out of the red head again, but Cloud held her back. "Let me go! Do you have any idea what they did to me?! I lost everything!" The red head's companion said nothing and didn't move to help his friend, considering he too was just as guilty.

"Gaia, I'm sorry! I was following orders, it wasn't personal!" The red head yelled out her, though it sounded funny because of his nose, which he was holding. "You punched me in the face!" The raven yelled back, Cloud struggling a little to hold her, she was a lot stronger than she looked. "Then we're even! Shiva, I think you broke my nose!" He whined, hands soaked in his own blood. Slowly she relaxed, this wasn't his fault, he was just a peon. Sighing heavily, she nodded, Cloud letting her go hesitantly. "I guess. But, what the hell are you even doing here? I was under the impression Shin-Ra was destroyed."

Tifa looked between them, seeming uncomfortable, "Sort of. Its a long story." She explained, Cloud agreeing quietly, before looking at the two Turks. "Did you find them Reno?" The red head shifted a little, glancing at his companion, "Kadaj's gang...took the kids." He replied, seeming more than a little worried. "Their at their base now, in the forgotten city." The bald one finished, crossing his arms. Adeline furrowed her brow, crossing her own arms. It did explain why it was so quiet and why she had not seen Denzel or Marlene.

"You go get them. I want to talk to Rufus." Cloud said, sounding almost dismissive. Tifa stomped her foot, eyes burning, "Cloud! Will you please stop it!? I get it, your scared of losing someone else, of not being able to save them. But you can't keep giving up like this, you have to fight it! They need you, I need you." The blonde looked away, not meeting her eyes, looking like he was shutting down.

"Zack wouldn't have wanted you to give up Cloud."

Everyone turned surprised eyes to Adeline, seeming shocked she would bring that up. She was nervous for only a moment, shaking her head, determination flaring to life in her eyes. "Bad shit happens to good people Cloud, all the time. But we can't just give up, we have to keep standing up. Keep fighting. Its your pride as SOLDIER. For dreams and honor."

Tifa smiled, nodding, she closed her eyes and hummed. "Dilly dally shilly shally." She said, Cloud turning to her, blinking, "What?"

"I think they want you to move on man." Reno said, his companion nodding slowly in agreement. "You go get the kids, we'll wait here." The Turks walked down the stairs, leaving them. "I'm going with you." Adeline said after a moment or two had passed, "I need to speak to Kadaj."

Cloud frowned, "It'll be dangerous. And what...How do you even know Kadaj?" He asked, the two of them walking down the stairs themselves, heading outside. "I ran into him a few days ago, before I met you in the church. He said something strange to me and I want to ask him some questions. Besides, I'm not the weak little girl I used to be Cloud, I can handle myself."

They smiled at each other, nodding, they hopped on Cloud's bike and sped off.

_________________________________________

 

* * *

 

Adeline wondered what Kadaj could possibly need children for, other than it being the most evil thing in the world or as hostages. She thought about what he had said to her, about his 'Reunion', trying to figure out what he had meant. The raven closed her eyes, thinking about Sephiroth...Genesis and Angeal...Zack. What had their last moments been like. Were they peaceful? Would they be waiting for her when this disease...?

She shook her head, this was not the time for that, she shouldn't, couldn't give up so soon. Cloud veered his bike to miss several kids that had leapt down from the trees, the bike slide, both of them tumbling off. Adeline coughed, the impact leaving her breathless, getting to her feet. Kadaj seemed mostly focused on Cloud, saying something about him being a betrayer as he circled them. They were surrounded by children, all of them looked dazed, unresponsive. She didn't get a chance to focus on them, barely dodging some kind of strange weapon wielded by the largest of the three brothers, he was much faster than his size betrayed, nearly landing a hit to her chest.

The raven landed just beyond the circle of kids, pulling out two her knives, ready for the next attack. Or so she thought. A bullet whizzed past her face, making her look up into the trees, seeing another of the three bothers. The one with the longest hair was aiming for her with a gun blade. "Oh, that's real fair, two against one?" She smarted off, unable to help herself, leaping backwards to avoid the bigger brother again, swiping at him with her knives.

The raven girl threw one of her daggers, throwing him off when he aimed a third hit, before banking left, toward Cloud and Kadaj who were now fighting. Their swords clanging loudly. The silverette noticed before she could land a hit, swinging out his sword, she dodged, but not fast enough. The doubled bladed sword slide across her arm, she let out a soft sound, but bit back the pain. Cloud took over with Kadaj and just in time, the other two brothers were focused on her again. Before she knew it they had chased her deeper into the forest, far from Cloud.

  
She ducked behind one of the glowing trees, losing her cool, she reloaded her guns. She had lost her daggers somewhere and at the moment was not too worried about that, she was more focused on surviving. A twig snapped, she whirled around the tree and froze, they stood there, guns ready. Teal eyes met crimson, neither moved, just stared and waited. "Who are you? Why do you look like Sephiroth?!" Adeline yelled at him, with everything happening so fast she had grown frustrated for answers.

The man before her had elbow length silver hair and familiar teal eyes, he looked like a much younger version of Sephiroth, more so than Kadaj. This man looked nearly identical, apart from not being quiet tall enough, he reminded her the most of the man she had known. He just stared at her, silence falling over them again, he glanced at her arm. "....Did Kadaj do that...?" He asked, his voice was soft, oddly calm.

The raven girl shook her head, glancing at her arm, the bleeding cut there. She almost lowered her weapons, but her attention refocused when he moved, stepping toward her. "What...? Your avoiding the question!" She replied, shaking her head, she bit back tears, why did he have to look so much like Sephiroth?! The other lowered his weapon, holstering it, "....His sword is coated in a powerful poison...I have the antidote." He reached in his pocket, pulling out a small vial and holding it up for her to see. His free hand up in surrender.

Adeline blinked, confused, lowering her weapons a little, "Wh...why would you help me?" She asked uncertainly, trying to wrap her head around it all, they had been fighting to the death only a moment ago. "...Its complicated..."

"What in my life isn't?! Tell me why your helping me!" She bit back, lifting her guns again, firing a shot dangerous close to his head. He didn't even blink. She didn't trust him, no matter how much he looked like-

"Sephiroth...he wouldn't want you to be hurt..." His reply made her freeze, nearly dropping the guns entirely, "What?" She mumbled, taking a step back, feeling suddenly dizzy. She hadn't even noticed she had been swaying that whole time, "Kadaj can hear Jenova....but I can hear Sephiroth."

"How...?" Adeline felt like she couldn't breath, her hands shaking, the guns feeling so much heavier than they should have. She stared at him, stumbling backward when he approached, backing hitting a tree. "I don't know..." He replied, sounding honest enough.

Adeline lowered her weapons, holstering them, frowning. "Okay, lets say I believe you. But that still doesn't explain why your helping me...Kadaj is your brother right? Shouldn't you be on his side...?" She said skeptically, she was taking a very large risk, what it what he was holding was more poison. Or if he just shot her right there?

The other shrugged, "I suppose I am, up to a point...Kadaj thinks that finding her will make a us 'Complete'..." He answered, moving close to her, almost uncomfortably so. He reached out, taking her arm, he opened the vial and poured some of the bluish liquid onto the wound. She looked away, trying to focus on something else, anything else. Anything besides how much it felt like she was talking to someone  _else_.

"Complete?" She asked, ignoring the way her vision seemed to be getting darker, watching a floating lightening bug go by.

"Yes...We were cloned from Sephiroth's DNA, meant to be perfect copies, but something clearly went wrong as none of us is anything like him." The silverette looked away, stepping back, a moment. "I'm afraid Kadaj is only going to kill himself." The male explained, crossing his arms, head tilting slightly to the side in thought. Adeline felt it should be a crime for anyone to look that much like...No! He did not look like him! She needed to stop thinking that! "What's your name?"

"Yazoo."

"Yazoo...I think I might be able to help you, I don't know how, but something tells me our meeting like this was not one of chance." Her words slurred softly, she felt drunk, really drunk. Like after one of those drinking contests with Zack. The raven slid down the tree, eyes falling shut, "I'll call you, when the time comes Adeline." She heard him say before she totally blacked out...

______________________________________

'She getting weaker...'

She moaned softly, trying to find the source of that familiar voice, feeling something nudging her.

'Wake up...you need to wake up...'

"No...not yet....please...don't...leave........me..." She murmured, trying to ignore the insistent nudging, someone was shaking her?

'Adeline...'

"Adeline...? Wake up!" Someone called, shaking her shoulders, she whimpered softly. Slowly, dark red eyes opened, taking in the sight of two men. One she was familiar with, the one shaking her, "Cloud...?" she asked, her voice a little rough, she wondered how long she had been out. But it still seemed to be night time. "Are you okay? What happened?" The blonde asked, clearly worried for her, but she shook her head. "I'm fine..." She replied, getting to her feet, "Whose your friend?" She asked, looking at the raven man behind the blonde. He was tall, clad in black and red and an air of undeniable mystery. His eyes were red, much like hers, but glowed much more brightly with something she could not place. "This is Vincent, we've known each other awhile now. Um, Vincent this is Adeline."

The silence was a little awkward as the two ravens seemed to stare at each other, as if silently judging wither they could trust one another. "Cloud, I want to see Tifa!" A small voice said near by, making them all look over. Adeline recognized Marlene and smiled a little, they had saved one of the kids at least, but it begged the question as to where the others were. And Kadaj's gang...

Cloud nodded to Marlene, taking the little girl's hand, turning to Adeline who hesitated. "I...I need some answers Cloud. Sorry, do you think you can drop me off where ever that Rufus guy is? I have a feeling he might be able to help me."

"I can take you." Vincent said suddenly, his voice deep, not quiet the same way as Sephiroth's had been. But with a strange attractiveness to it. She raised a brow, seeing Cloud nod in the corner of her eye and start off, "I'll call in the verdict." The blonde said over his shoulder, disappearing into the forest.

Adeline blinked, eye twitching, he just left her. With a stranger. Well a stranger to her. Taking a deep breath, she looked a Vincent, "Alright...I guess. Where's your ride?" She asked, confused when he approached her, moving back on instinct. She had never been too keen on people approaching her like that, ever since Hojo, it always set her on edge. "Wha-!" He picked her up, jumping into the air and before she realized it they were flying, somehow, his red cape swirling around them as if it was alive. Without thinking she grabbed onto him, she had never been scared of heights exactly, but she was scared of him dropping her.

________________________________________

Later...

Adeline paced to and fro, a tablet in her hands and on it all the files on Sephiroth and those connected to him, including herself, which made her shudder knowing they had been watching her. There were a lot of videos of the experiments Hojo had done to her, pictures of the sonograms, she had to force herself to not cry. Watching her was Rufus, covered in a white sheet and seated in a wheel-chair, along with the Turks. Reno and Rude she found out their names were. They had not really argued when she asked to see the files, oddly enough, especially after she explained who she was. Rufus has seemed almost, apologetic about it, "So...Let me get this straight. Jenova is not really his mother, she's a thousand-odd year old alien thing that was dug up about fifty some years ago. And you have no idea where its remains are now?"

"Correct." Rufus replied, tapping his fingers, wondering what all this information was going to be useful for. "His real mother was a scientist named Lucrecia Cresent, who agreed to do the experiments on her own child, up until the end when she attempted to change her mind and flee with the baby? And Hojo took him from her and she wasn't able to get to him again and simply vanished."

"Also correct."

"And Hojo, of all the people in the world, is most likely his father?" She continued, to which Rufus and his turks nodded, noticing the way she shuddered whenever she mentioned Hojo. "Dear Gaia, no wonder he lost his mind." She mumbled to herself, continuing reading, she pulled up a picture of Dr. Cresent, she may have found the key to saving Kadaj. By convincing him who is real mother was.

She handed the tablet back to Rufus after sending the information to her phone, deciding to keep it for now. Turning she went back outside, sighing, she ran a hand through her hair. Vincent was waiting for her, leaning up against a wall, "Now what?" He asked, gazing at her over the tall collar of his cape, the rest of his face hidden. Adeline shook her head, crossing her arms, "I don't know for sure...I'll just have to wait for the phone call. I...I'm hoping I can convince Kadaj that JENOVA isn't his mother. According to the files is a woman by the name of Lucrecia...Hmh~" She smiled thoughtfully, Vincent walked toward her, eyes swimming with question. "Something funny...?" He asked, watching the shorter raven, wondering what she was thinking.

"Not exactly. Its just...She was really pretty. I can see where Sephiroth got his looks from...and I wonder...what sort of a person she really was. If she really loved him in the end."

"She was a kind person...but she was fragile." Vincent replied after a moment, surprising her, he looked away. "Vincent...did you...know her?" She asked, trying to see her face, but it was nearly impossible, she barely reached his shoulder. "I did. It seems like it was so long ago..."

She didn't need to see his face to recognize the kind of sorrow in his voice, she frowned sympathetically, looking at her feet. "You loved her. You miss her..." She felt his eyes on her, "I can understand that...its painful. Always wishing you could have just one more moment with them." Her voice cracked a little, but she took a deep voice, pushing the pain away. She smiled up at Vincent weakly, "They would want us to push forward...I think."

He stared at her a long time, before nodding, picking her up again he took her to Tifa's bar.

* * *

The next few days Adeline spent training, preparing, there was a fight coming they could all feel it. Vincent spent quiet a bit of time on the roof with the smaller raven, they didn't talk much, but there was a mutual understanding between them. A strange kinship in the things they had lost and missed. It was while she was on the roof that she received a text from and unknown number, it only read 'Its time.' followed by an address for a building near the circle that served as the center of Edge. She went alone, waiting outside the unfinished building, keeping out a weary eye for Yazoo. But it was not him who met her. Instead Kadaj appeared, pushing a one Rufus Shin-Ra in his wheelchair, the silverette smile wickedly at her. "Sister?! What a surprise, why don't you join us?" He asked, a certain level of threat in his voice. She would have gone either way, this was her chance to convince him to stop this madness.

  
The three bordered the elevator in the building, going up nearly to the top of the fifteen or so story high rise. Adeline stood somewhat back, she was armed, but so far there seemed to be no need for fighting. Kadaj claimed he only wanted to talk and he appeared to be telling the truth, he had not brought a weapon with him.

So their they were, over looking Edge....

"Why does human kind even bother? You wreck everything you've ever made and then you start over, like its going to be different the next time." Kadaj mused, looking out at the city, seeming to be deep in thought, his face looked almost sad. "I suppose we're no good at facing our memories, we'd rather guild the past, find something worth while among the rubble, build a future with that." Rufus answered, Adeline could not see his face for the sheet, so it was hard to tell what he was looking at or his expression. What he was really thinking.

"And that's why you salvaged 'Mother'? To guild the past?" Kadaj turned his eyes to Rufus a moment, before looking away again, awaiting an answer. Adeline frowned, looking at Rufus again, he had said he didn't know where the remains were. Had he lied? "We were trying to rid ourselves of...a more immediate problem." Rufus replied, his voice ever even, as if he had no emotions or he was hiding something.

Kadaj again looked at him, then Adeline, before looking to Rufus's hand. The sheeted mans hand peaked out just enough, one could just see the blackish bruise like sore there. Adeline had not even noticed it before, so he was sick as well? "You can't mean the Stigma?" Kadaj asked, just the mention of that disease made Adeline's side twinge, lifting a hand to touch the place on her side, glad her sweater covered it. "But your the ones that brought that on yourselves in the first place." The silverette continued, tilting his head a bit, his cat like eyes shifting a little. "Well now..." Kadaj mused again, looking out over the city once more, "I guess you really do have a short memory..."

"Hmh~ No, not me. You see it is my  _choice_  to forget." Rufus replied, one could almost hear the smile in his voice, silence fell over the three of them. Adeline, too, looked out over the city. From there she could see the city circle, where the statue commemorating Midgar stood. She could see something was going on down there, she could just make out Yazoo and his other brother, Loz, at the center of it. She wanted to ask about it, but her focus, she felt, should be on Kadaj. She felt nervous, unsure of herself, she was waiting for that voice to give her a helping hand. But she hadn't heard it in days, had she imagined it? Was she on her own?

She hoped not, but then she had no choice now, she had gotten involved and she would see this through to the end. Her fingers found the pendant hanging about her neck, the only remaining piece of her past besides he memories and scars, holding it gently as she thought about who had given it to her. This felt much like the feeling she had had that night in Nebelheim. She was nervous and fearful she would lose something important...

The raven shook herself from her thoughts, below a fight had broken out in the square, it looked to be between the Turks and the two other clones, monsters were all over the place, attacking civilians. She took a step closer to the ledge, she wanted to do something to help, spotting Denzel among the children circling the monument, her heart sinking. Tifa appeared to be trying to get his attention, but all the children were still under Jenova's spell, just standing around like little zombies.

"Hey, Kadaj? I have a question for you..." Rufus broke the silence, the silver haired teen walking farther out on the ledge, much like Adeline. "I've got an answer." He replied, pulling what appeared to be a materia out of his arm, black smoke swirling a bit and vanishing into the air after it, he held the small blue orb up to the light. "You told me...you needed Jenova cells in order to be whole again, right? What did you mean by that?" Rufus continued, his tone curious and apprehensive, Adeline turned her eyes to the slightly shorter male, waiting to see what his reply was. Even Yazoo had not been able to answer that question when she had asked. But she was not prepared for Kadaj's answer...

"Him...He's coming back." A chill ran down Adeline's spine at those words, surely he didn't mean...

"Sephiroth..." She and Rufus said it in unison, though her voice was softer, whispered with so much pain. She felt her heart might burst, they were going to bring him back? No...not him. The physchotic being Jenova had morphed him into, the shell of the man Adeline had known. With all his powers, his voice and appearance, but in reality he was just a puppet for her to control. Made to appear as if he was doing it all on his own...

"The nightmare..." Rufus murmured after a moment, Kadaj did not turn around, the materia in his hands lowered slightly. "So they say..."

"You mean...?"

"I've never known Sephiroth, I just...I sense him there." Kadaj continued, sounding almost...hurt, confused maybe, "It's unbearable, to think Mother might want Sephiroth more than..." He trailed off, as if it pained him to think about it and in some way Adeline could understand. She could imagine it would be painful for the person you thought was your mother to pick someone else as their favorite, she would have been sad and angry, but then why would he still do as she asked if he knew she didn't love him the same? Was he trying to please her? Unknowing that the thing he was trying to please was not actually his mother at all, but some alien monster. Adeline started to speak, taking a step toward Kadaj, so that she was now standing beside the sheeted Shin-Ra, who was partly between them. But she hesitated, unable to get the words out.

"Poor little remnant." Rufus's tone was taunting, almost cruel, the raven could have slapped him for it. It set the silverette off instantly. "It doesn't matter who she picks! You'll all meet the same end!" Kadaj nearly shouted, his eyes almost glowing in rage as he turned around, his eyes on Rufus now. "Mother came to this planet after a long journey, to rid the cosmos of fools like you." He continued, his anger more under control, holding the materia up to Rufus's face, it flared softly to life. "But..." Kadaj smiled, backing off and turning toward the city again, walking out onto the ledge once more.

"You know as well as I do, nothing's changed since she got here." He said, holding is arms up as if presenting the world around them as an example, "I have to change it, to make her happy! If mother willed it, I'd do anything for her."

Rufus chuckled softly, "The nightmare returns." The silverette turned slightly at the words, tossing the materia up and down, "As long as you exist, the nightmares will return again and again." He replied, smiling softly. "The lifestream courses through our world, ever flowing between the edges of life and death. If that cycle is the very truth of life...then history too, will inevitably repeat itself." Rufus answered, "So bring your Jenova's and your Sephiroth's, cause trouble till your hearts content." Kadaj paused, grasping the materia in his hand tightly, you could feel his anger boiling just under the surface.

"We'll do as life mandates. We promise we won't let you win, we'll stop you." There was a pause, before Kadaj spoke again, "Please, sir, is that your excuse for going after mother yourself? You don't seem all that sorry."

"Sorry? I've never had this much fun." Adeline could have smacked Rufus for that comment, he acted as if this was a game, as if people's lives weren't at stake. Typical of someone from Shin-Ra. Kadaj smirked, reabsorbing the materia into his arm, it glowed to life as he held it up and faced them, "Good...Then lets put an end to all this."

Adeline took another step forward, making an attempt to stop him, but Kadaj threw his arm out toward the sky, a powerful blast sending a rush of air around them; Causing Adeline to step back slightly. From his arm burst a circle of familiar runes...a summons. The raven cursed, "What the hell did you do?" She yelled, looking toward the sky, anxiety twisting her insides. The silverette only laughed, the clouds swirled, lightening crackled, the sound nearly deafening. It formed slowly, a large, mostly bluish, dragon type being. Bahamout....She had only ever seen pictures, but the stories of its great power were legendary.

"Are you insane...?!" Adeline chocked, looking over at the silverette, storming toward him. "Those are innocent people down there, normal people who can't fight something like that!" She yelled, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him, he only chuckled, his eyes looking down at the chaos below with sick joy. Adeline tried to think, watching as hundreds of people were being killed, their screams would be forever embedded into her mind...like those of Nebelheim...

"She's not your mother!" The raven blurted suddenly, so much for taking that slowly, but it was to late to take it back. Kadaj's eyes whirled onto her, anger in them, "What...did you say?" He growled, seeming so much bigger than her in that moment, despite being nearly the same height. She almost backed down, "Jenova isn't your mother! She's a monster!" She continued, feeling a sharp stinging pain in her jaw as she stumbled back, he had punched her. "Shut your mouth you lying bitch!" He yelled at her, delivering a round house kick to her ribs, sending her flying into the empty room and skidding across the floor. She groaned softly, laying there, clutching her ribs. She was pretty sure he had cracked a few of them. She tasted blood, figured her had busted her lip, she glared at him.

Slowly she got to her feet, still holding her ribs, she walked up beside Rufus again. Kadaj was again distracted by the chaos, she looked out, seeing Tifa and whom she assumed was more of their friends fighting Bahamout, she recognized them from a picture she had seen in the bar.  She recognized Vincent by his cape. She vaguely remember Tifa telling her their names, but from there it was hard to tell who was who...

Adeline could, however, tell they were struggling. She took in a breath, pushing her pain away, a good soldier could put priority even before pain. Genesis had taught her that...She stepped to the ledge, watching as Cloud and his friends pulled off a huge attack by sending the blonde into the air as the great dragon took off, but it kicked him back down. She stepped out on the very edge of the ledge again, standing beside Kadaj, who seemed to pay her no mind at all.

Bahamout lifted higher and higher, it seemed almost hopeless. Cloud's other friends tossed him up, after the dragon, which was building a huge blast. Its ultimate attack no doubt. "You know Kadaj..." The silverette looked at her, frowning a little as the pendant she wore began to glow a gentle, but fiery red, lifting off her chest as if it had a life all its own. "Your not the only one with fancy toys." She smirked at him, throwing her hand toward the ground, in a clear spot away from people. A crater formed, the earth shook, opening up like an angry wound. From it poured fire and a deafening roar, a beast like the devil himself rose, eyes like black, burning coals and fur like flame. It attacked Bahamout with a ball of fire, aiding Cloud and his friends to defeating it. She couldn't help but smile, this was the first time she had used that materia. The god of fire, Ifrit. She murmured a soft 'thank you', kissing the pendant, Ifrit going back to the place wince he came.

Kadaj smiled, seeming unfazed by the lose, he turned instead to Rufus. "This is too fun...Any request for the next act?" He asked, clearly enjoying himself, but his face turned confused as Rufus stood. Throwing off the sheet, he held a black box in his hand, a smirk on his face, blonde hair shifting in the subtle breeze. "Mother?!" Kadaj nearly chocked on the word in his shock, Rufus only smirked.

"Rufus...Fucking Shin-Ra?! Your a goddamed liar!" Adeline shouted, but had no time to react more than that to stop what happened next. Everything happened so fast.

"A good son would have known." Rufus taunted Kadaj, ignoring her, that moment seemed to slow down so suddenly. Kadaj yelled, Rufus threw the box over the ledge...The silverette tried to blast him and hit something explosive in the back ground, then jumped off the ledge after the box. Rufus followed, firing gunshots.

Adeline...? Adeline didn't have time to react, she panicked, she had no idea wither to jump or duck for cover. A pair of strong arms saved her the answer and certain death as the blast nearly reached her, pulling her against a muscled chest and leaping from the ledge to a different building and then down to land safely in an alley nearby. The raven didn't dare look up at first, something told her not to, "Seth?" She asked shakily, whomever it was chuckled in a deep voice, "Go. You can defeat it...I'll help you."

She felt so warm, green light, like in her dream, surrounded her...A feather landed on the ground beside her, she didn't need to look back to know she had a large black wing protruding from her back. She felt like she was co-piloting her own body some how, like someone else was guiding her with a gentle hand as she lifted into the air and followed after Kadaj and Cloud.

* * *

Adeline followed the wreckage caused by Cloud and the three clones, right into the heart of Midgar, she could just make out Cloud fighting Kadaj atop Shin-Ra tower. The raven looked down a moment, something pulling her eyes away. She drifted down into a broken window, landing in what had once been an office. She stared down at an old picture frame, of carved black wood, the glass within it broken. Not the glass or even the frame, but the faded picture within brought tears to her eyes. Far away words echoing in her mind...

'I wanted to remind you that your never alone.'

Adeline closed her eyes a moment, pushing away her sorrow for now, she knelt down and picked up the frame. The wooden thing fell apart in her hands, making her fumbled to catch it, but she was distracted by an envelop that drifted to the floor beside the picture. "What's this?" She murmured to herself, picking up both, she opened the envelope and pulled out a folded up letter. It was written in an all too familiar scrawl...

  
_Adeline,_

  
_If your reading this, then I know that you have survived our encounter in Nebelheim. I do not have long to write this letter and I can only pray you find it. This monster has taken over my mind and I fear I do not have the strength to break free, its a miracle I did so even for this moment. I want you to remember, that no matter what happens to me and to our friends, that you are never alone. That I will always love you and that I never wanted to hurt you, I never wanted this to happen. Any of it. Somehow I will keep my promise to you._

  
~ _Sephiroth_

Her throat tightened, clutching the letter to her chest, she took a few deep breaths. She could ach over this later, now was not the time. She folded up the letter, shakily placing a kiss on the paper, putting it and the photograph in the envelope and into her pocket. Calming herself, she moved to take flight again, but felt a tug. As if some invisible force was telling her to wait. On the ground, near where the picture had been, she noticed Kadaj's double bladed Katana. Picking it up, her red eyes looked up to the now darkening sky, she knew with out seeing him that Sephiroth, no...Jenova was there, fighting Cloud somewhere out there. Kadaj had fused himself with Jenova's head after all. Was she too late? She prayed not...

She allowed the wing to lift her into the air, flying toward the top of Shin-Ra tower where she could hear the sounds of fighting. Cloud lay in a pool of his own blood, panting heavily, struggling to get to his feet. Sephiroth floated above him, laughing softly in that mixed voice. Adeline landed beside Cloud, but her eyes remained on the silverette whose face she had once loved, and still did deep down, but this was not the same face. This one was one of madness and cruelty...

"Sephiroth...No...." She shook her head, looking away for only a moment, "Jenova. Let Kadaj go..." She demanded, her free hand forming a fist, shaking slightly. Was she really ready to do this? Face the monster who wielded her lovers face? Yes. Her eyes alighted with determination, she would do this. She would free Kadaj, she could free him. If Sephiroth believed in her, if that voice in her head was his like she thought, then she could do this.

Sephiroth laughed at her, "His body was the perfect vessal to bring back this one. He is the ultimate weapon, I will rule this planet! Feeble girl like you can't stop me!"

The raven girl shook her head once more, taking a fighting stance, wielding Kadaj's sword as if it were her own. The silverette laughed, tilting his head, "Will you really fight me? The man you love so dearly?"

"The man I loved...ISN'T A RAVING PYSCHO BITCH!" She yelled, leaping into the air, their swords clashing with a hail of sparks. Over and over, they were moving so fast, faster than Adeline had thought she COULD move. He would land a hit, knock her down, she would get back up and their swords would clash once more. She landed a hit...clash...then another and another. Neither seemed willing to stop, no matter the damage they took or the pain they were enduring from the injuries they received.  

____________________________________________

Cloud watched on, getting to his feet, preparing himself to continue this fight. He felt a presence, one he knew all to well, before he heard the voice. 'She can handle this Cloud, you've done enough.' The blonde bit his lip, "Zack?" He turned his head slightly, trying to see what he knew he couldn't. He felt another presence join the other, a soft, reassuring chuckle followed it.  'Hmh~ It's okay now, you can relax. You did wonderfully.'

'Yes Cloud, we always knew you could do it. Thank you...for helping her.'

________________________________________

She had him pined, floating over him, bearing down on him as he braced himself on the roof of the tower, glaring at her with all the hatred the world had to offer. "He's...helping you...isn't he?" He growled, that undertoned voice leaking in much more obviously now.

"That's right...Even apart he supports me...protects me...loves me. That's something you can never take away! And something you can never understand or give!" She replied, pushing harder, "Listen to me Kadaj! Fight her! She's isn't your real mother! A mother wouldn't send her children out to die or ask them to become someone their not!" Sephiroth knocked her back, tumbled, skidding across the ground. But she didn't relent, getting back to her feet and wiping some blood from her cheek, "I know who your real mother is Kadaj! Her name was Lucrecia!"

"Shut up...shut up...SHUT UP!" He yelled at her, but she shook her head, putting a hand to her heart. "She loved her sons! She even tried to hide them from that maniac Hojo!" Sephiroth lunged at her, swinging his sword. She thought he might cut her in two, but she managed to back step enough to prevent at least that, but the wound was still deep. She fell to her knees, dropping her weapon, arms across her middle to try and staunch the flow of blood. Adeline lifted her eyes to him, the fire not leaving them, "Listen to your heart Kadaj!" She shouted, watching the silverette raise his sword, this was the end. This was her last chance. "You know the reason you felt Sephiroth isn't because he's her favorite! He was trying to stop her from reaching you! He loves you Kadaj, just like Yazoo and Loz love you! And that means more than anything Jenova has promised!" The sword sang as it cut through the air. The raven closing her eyes, waiting for it. If nothing else, he would be waiting for her on the other side. She awaited her death, but it never came.

Sephiroth grabbed his head, taking a step back, sword clattering to the ground. He was screaming as if drowning something out. What she said was working? A new life erupted in her, a new energy, "She can never love you Kadaj..." She stood up, stumbling a little, she walked toward him. All the while he backed away from her, hands up as if he thought it might stop her, "She can never fill the emptiness in your heart." He stumbled in his efforts to escape, falling to the ground. She knelt down, reaching out and pulling the silverette into a hug, "But I can try Kadaj...I'll show you what a family really is. We can all be one big family, you, me, Yazoo, and Loz."

The silverette cried out and suddenly, pushing her away and for a second she thought she might have failed. But, beyond belief, Kadaj seemed to literally melt out of the taller mans body in a cloud of shadows, stumbling toward weakly. Adeline moved forward, catching Kadaj as he fell, unconscious in her arms. She held him protectively, looking up at Sephiroth as he lifted into the air above them, the shadows coming off him like some sort of steam. He was fading away.

"Go back to my memories...where you belong." She heard Cloud say, though those teal eyes never left her red ones, there was a strange sort of change in him. Like defeat or resignation.

"I will...never be a memory." And he was gone, leaving nothing but black feathers to drift away in the breeze. She watched for a long time, long after the rain began to fall, feeling a strange relief wash over her. Her own wing disappeared as if it had never been, the fight, for now, was over.

'You are so much stronger than you know.'

"Heh~ You were right. Thank you...Seth." She watched the sky, a gentle hand petting Kadaj's hair, she wasn't sure who she was comforting, herself or him. She felt him stir softly, his teal eyes fluttering and looking up at her uncertainly, "Sister...?" He mumbled, slowly sitting up, watching her as she turned her eyes on him. He looked so uncertain, fragile even, like a small child. A small laugh left her, "Close enough." She smiled, finding her arms full of the male, whom seemed so small in that moment. This only made her smile more, looking up to see Yazoo and Loz approaching, she could see Cloud tense near by. "Brother?" Loz's voice was uncertain as he looked between his smaller brother, then Cloud, and finally her. Kadaj lifted his head and grinned, holding out an arm, inviting his bigger brother over. "We'll be a family, together! Right?" He asked, looking to her, waiting. "Of course." She replied, laughing a bit as both men hugged her. Weirdly enough she felt like a moth right then, at least she imagined this was what it felt like. Well other than the horrible pain in her stomach, that was becoming way harder to ignore as they two jostled her in their excitement. "O-Okay, I think I need a potion about now!" She said, laughing a bit nervously now, pointedly not looking down at herself. She still really hated blood.

Kadaj frowned at first in confusion, had and Loz both letting her go, sitting back; Yazoo being the only one still standing. The silverette wondered why she had that weird look on her face, some mixture between pained, happy, and like she might be about to get ill. Seemingly at the same time the three looked down at the blood on her, "What...? Oh Gaia, I'm sorry!" Both brothers scrambled to find something to help her, getting up and running about like...well idiots. Yazoo shook his head, stifling a laugh, he calming walked over to her and knelt down. A greenish glow emitted from his hand, transferring into the wound which began to heal slowly, he was casting a cure spell with one of the materia he still had.

* * *

_A year later..._

A lot happened over the course of that past year. Adeline had had a lot of growing to do, taking on the responsibility of three grown men. To anyone who didn't know them, it sounded silly that one woman had so much to worry about. But Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz were a hand full at the best of times. Specifically Loz and Kadaj. If she had never felt like a mother, she did now.

Loz, despite being the oldest, was nothing but an over grown five year old. He seemed to be the most unaware of it too. He often wandered off. Cried. Got lost. Made adult things awkward. Like a little kid. And if all this was not enough the poor man was clingy, extremely clingy, when it came to Adeline's attention. He saw he as a sister, but more than that, as the only parental figure he had ever known. She wouldn't have minded it so much, but it made worse another situation.

Kadaj. He was fragile. That was the only way Adeline could describe the teenager. He was uncertain of himself a lot of the time, of wither anyone liked him or wanted him. And all he wanted was to be loved, cared about. And of the raven left him alone to long, gave too much attention to some one else, even if it was minor? Kadaj would break down, completely. He would shut himself off from everyone or in extreme cases throw a tantrum, attack people he thought were responsible, even if it was Loz. Adeline had to constantly reassure him of his place in her life, that she cared about him and wouldn't forget him, that she was not, could not, be angry at him.

If it wasn't for Yazoo she probably would have lost her mind. He was a big help, he knew his two brothers better than anyone and kept the peace much of the time before it got too out of hand. He was the most grown up of them, but even he had his moments. Adeline saw some of herself in him. Like the depression. That ever present sorrow that liked to rear its ugly head at the worst of times, bring them down and try and convince them of things that weren't true or just weren't severe enough to cry over. They talked, often, about their troubles. In Yazoo Adeline had found a best friend again. But most of all, with the three of them. With Cloud and all his friends, all the new friends she made amongst them. Adeline didn't feel nearly as alone.

She still ached for Sephiroth, still loved him and tried to believe he was really coming back to her. Somehow. But it was hard to, knowing he was dead, it made it nearly impossible to believe that was anything more than an insane fantasy she had dreamed up in a mako fevered state. It didn't help at all that after she had saved Kadaj, defeated that Sephiroth puppet, that she stopped hearing that voice in her head all together. And she didn't understand why. Was she just insane? Had her mind cooked up that voice to help her cope with the overwhelming emptiness that had been left after Nebelheim?

Over time, the longer the voice was absent, the more the depression grew. She tried hard to not show it, keep smiling for the sake of the silver haired brothers she lived with. She didn't want them or her friends to worry. She didn't even tell Yazoo about this part of the depression, in fact the only person who had even an inkling about it was Vincent. Adeline had grown pretty close to Vincent, they just understood each other, without words. It was comforting. He had even encouraged her to try and find something to occupy herself when those darker thoughts grew to much to handle, which was somewhat comical since he didn't seem to even take his own advice. None the less she had ended up taking on odd jobs, like bounties for troublesome beasts or helping out Reeve at the WRO when he needed a little extra muscle.

The raven was a pretty confident fight these days, much more sure of herself now that she had a real battle under her belt. She wondered sometimes if Genesis would have been proud of her skills, if he would have thought she was a worthy fighter. There were days she found she missed the poetry, hell even the teasing. It was funny how something you once found annoying was something you missed the most when it was gone and would never be coming back.

Adeline shook her head, pulling herself from her musings. She was riding through the forests well away from Edge, toward her home she shared with the boys, bringing back groceries and other supplies. She was driving the truck the boys had gotten some time back, no one had ever claimed it after the incident in Midgar the previous year, so they had not worried to much in continuing to use it. The raven had gotten herself a bike too, it was an antique she had found in the rubble of the once great city. It had been rusted and unusable at the time, but she brought it back with her none the less and was in the process of restoring it.

The raven pulled to a stop outside a fair sized, two story cottage, three green bikes and one antique red parked near by. She smirked, at least the boys were home today. Not much of a surprise, they didn't go into town much, it tended to cause a stir when they did. They often had to resort to disguises to keep down the commotion. There were still a lot of people who saw Sephiroth and those who looked like him as some kind of scourge and as a result her as well, the only reason they didn't say anything directly to her was because she was friends with Cloud and the others. Adeline thought it was ridiculous, especially after the boys had tried so hard to help rebuild Edge after they had left such a mess. But in self defense she had moved them all out her, far from the people that might seek to harm them. She wanted to protect the boys, above all else.

She walked inside, holding a box of supplies in her hands, "I'm home!" She called out, walking into the kitchen and setting the box on the table, upstairs she could hear a small commotion. Kadaj seemed to be yelling at Loz over something, they really had a lot of trouble sharing things. So the raven assumed it was over that, sighing softly, "They never cease, do they?" She glanced at the doorway that lead to the living room, smirking a little at Yazoo, who was leaning against the doorframe. He didn't smile, he looked a little lost in thought, he often did she found. "Yeah, I wonder if they'll ever grow up." She replied, taking some things out of the box, cans and such. She started putting things away in the cabinets they belonged, "But, you know neither of us would have them any other way."

He chuckled, smiling a little at that, "Yeah, they wouldn't be the same." He answered, walking over to help her, a comfortable silence falling between them. At least till yelling moved from upstairs to down. Loz came barreling into the kitchen in tears, yelling something about being sorry, that it wasn't his fault. "Wha-What are you talking about? Loz, its okay, calm down and tell me what's wrong!" She tried, patting the large mans shoulder, it felt so awkward since he was a lot bigger than her. Hell, she was pretty damn sure he was older than her.

"He went into your room, I told him not to! He broke one of your picture frames!" She looked up to see Kadaj coming to the room, he was fuming and looked ready to beat the piss out of his older brother. In his hands he was holding the a for mentioned frame and its contents. The raven took a deep breath, this happened, every now and again. Something got broke because someone, usually Loz, got too rough with whatever he was looking at. This time...this time she felt a pang of anger at it. She didn't like them going in her room without asking or when she wasn't home. She kept a lot of important things there, things from her past that she had scavenged from Midgar's rubble. Like the picture Kadaj was now holding. It was one of the only pictures of just her and Sephiroth, from the day she had moved in with him. She could remember very clearly Genesis wanting a picture of the 'love birds', which had got a book and a paper weight thrown at him, but he had none the less gotten the photo.

She had to take a deep breath in order to not yell or scream at them, calmly walking over and taking the picture gingerly from Kadaj's hand. "Loz, it's okay...but please, please don't go in there again." There was a threat in her voice, one she had never issued to any of them before, one that ceased any of them from speaking again about the matter as they watched her go upstairs. She did not come back down for hours.

_______________________________________________________

The next day, Adeline stood in the kitchen, making breakfast. Dressed in a loose t-shirt and jeans, she was bare foot. Humming a soft tune she remembered hearing somewhere, pushing bacon around in a hot pan. Eggs and toast lay waiting on the table, along with a picture of juice, glasses, and plates. She waited till all three of the boys were up, before sitting down with them, letting them eat a little before she announced her plans for the week. "Boys, I'm going to be gone a few days, so I want you to-"

"No." Kadaj said flatly, looking at his plate, he stopped eating. "Don't goooo~" Loz whined, dropping his fork and scooting closer to her, grabbing her arm. She had expected their reactions, it was always this way whenever she needed to go for a bit. "Where are you going?" Yazoo asked, not seeming as worried about it, but she could see the look in his eyes and knew he didn't like it either.

Clearing her throat, she tried to smile a little, "I'm going with Vincent to Kalm. There's a festival going on soon and I'd like to see it, Vincent thought it would be nice to get away and relax a little."

Loz brightened, "Festival? Like with music and food and dancing? I want to go!"

Kadaj seemed even less pleased, "Your going alone. With Vincent? Just the two of you and no one else?" She frowned at the way he sounded, the way he seemed so suspicious and jealous. Red eyes narrowed a little, ignoring Loz, she focused on Kadaj. "We're just friends Kadaj. That's it." It was quiet, the silence stretching on like the calm before the storm.  She hoped that he would let it go at that, but she knew better, he had a lot of trouble letting things go. He was glaring at the table, she could see the anger building like water starting to boil...

*SLAM*

"Bullshit! I've seen the way you two hang out all the time! You like him don't you?!" He screamed at her, standing up, his fist having knocked over his juice. Loz flinched a little, sitting back. Adeline didn't move, didn't look away from him. "Kadaj. Vincent is my friend. Only my friend."

"Liar! Your lieing! You love him! You've betrayed brother!"

That was it, that was the straw that broke the camels back. Adeline did not have a temper, most of the time she was passive, calm. Always had been. But there were times when she just couldn't take it and snapped, like in that moment.

*SMACK*

The sound echoed in the room, deafeningly. She didn't even realized she had done it till it was far too late to take it back, tears pricking the corners of her eyes, her hand stinging. "I...I would never betray him. I loved Sephiroth, with all my heart and soul. I miss him every single breath I take. I would never,  _ **never**_  fall in love with someone else." She said softly, her lip quivered, she turned and walked out of the room.

Kadaj just stood there, teal eyes wide in shock, a large red mark blooming on his cheek. He lifted a hand to it, touching it lightly, she had hit him? She had actually hit him. "You had it coming Kadaj." Yazoo said, not looking up from the table, "You of all of us should have known better than to bring up brother. You were the one who checked in on her those nights when she-"

"Woke up screaming for him..." He finished, frowning deeply. Having been prone to night terrors himself, he had been surprised one night, about a week after they all started living together, when he heard Adeline shouting in her sleep. He could still remember the way he had found her. The silverette had thought she was having a seizure of some sort, the way she had been thrashing so violent in bed. He had had to wake her and when she had she had broken down into sobs, after at first mistaking him for big brother. He couldn't imagine it was easy, living with three people who looked so much like the man she loved.

Kadaj hated himself for what he had said, he knew how delicate a subject it was for her. Even her friends didn't bring it up if they could avoid it. The teen let his hand fall, staring at the table a moment, before going upstairs to try and apologize. He didn't get far, standing outside her door, he could faintly hear the sound of her anguished sobs on the other side. Kadaj ran a hand through his shoulder length hair, steadying himself, he opened the door quietly. She was on her knees, near her bed, hugging something. He had a feeling it was one of the many frames she kept in her room, she had a lot of photographs and it didn't take a genius to know who was in the image she clung to.

He hesitated, wondering if he shouldn't try later instead, but he hated seeing her like this. She was usually so strong and seemed so happy, but he knew she cried a lot, when she thought no one would hear it or notice. Finally he padded across the room, bare feet making nearly no sound, he gently hugged her from behind; Leaning his head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean what I said I...I just don't like you leaving..."

She didn't answer at first, not yet in control of her sobbing. He could feel the way she trembling softly in his arms, this too he didn't like. "It...its okay...Kadaj. I-I know...I j-just, hnnnh..." She chocked out the words, stuttering a bit between the sobs and hiccups. "...He's not...coming back...and I...I can't take it!" Adeline cried, doubling over a bit, but he held onto to her firmly. He frowned deeply, staring at the wall in front of them, seeing some of the many pictures she had. A lot of them were of Sephiroth. Of them together or with their friends. "I...I'm sure he'll find a way. He wouldn't just leave you like this, he's not that kind of person." Kadaj tried to sound reassuring, but if he was honest, even he had a hard time believing that Sephiroth was just going to rise from the dead. 

It was sometime before Adeline calmed down enough to stop crying, let alone breath normally, but eventually she lowered the picture she was holding so tightly to. She held it between her fingers, staring at it sadly, "I'm sorry I hit you..." She murmured, not looking up. Kadaj sat beside he now, indian style, having been rubbing her back to sooth her. "I deserved that, so its okay." He replied, waving it off, it had actually helped him clear his head a little.

"Why don't...we all go to Kalm?" She asked thoughtfully, tilting her head a little, shakily placing the fame back on the nightstand by her bed. Kadaj frowned a bit, "I thought you wanted to go alone, so you can relax or whatever."

"I did, but....I don't anymore...I don't want to be left alone." The truth was she was afraid to be left alone, she was afraid of what she might do, to herself more than anything. The darkness was so hard to deny, it grew every day, stronger and stronger. "Go tell the other two, you guys can get packing. We leave in the morning." Adeline got to her feet, Kadaj doing the same. Their was a hollowness to her eyes that frightened him, he had never seen it before. It was like the life had left her, like there was nothing left in her, no more fight.

And he didn't know what to do about it. Leaving the room, he informed the other two of the plan, smiling half heartedly at how excited Loz got. The oldest silverette running upstairs at once. Kadaj stopped Yazoo when he started that way, not looking at him at first, before turning darkened eyes on him. "If he can still hear you...you need to tell him to hurry up. She isn't going to be able to keep going like this much longer."

Yazoo stared at him a long time, before looking at the ceiling, frowning. He had thought she was moving on, at least coping well, but perhaps he had missed something? The middle brother nodded at last, going upstairs himself to pack, pausing beside Adeline's slightly open door. He could see her, siting on the edge of her bed, reading what seemed to be a letter. 

* * *

It was a warm night, a gentle breeze blowing through the eerily glowing trees, creating ripples on the surface of a pond. From its depths gentle bubbles found their way to the surface, playing merrily all the way up, a gentle green glow growing slowly brighter in the darkness below. The bubbles grew steadily in number until the pond seemed to be boiling, waters growing choppy, the light from its depths shining like the sun above. And then, from the bubbles and roaring waves, erupted a figure. Gasping and sputtering for breath, they swam to the shore, crawling up onto the dirt on all fours.

The water settled slowly, back to a calm, mirror like still pool. The figure stayed there, catching their breath. A smile spreading across perfect lips as blue-green eyes lifted slowly to look up at the moon that cast its light upon their owners pale form, gentle laughter falling into the air like long awaited music. Silvery hair clung to damp flesh as the person stood, raising a hand as if to grasp the orb in high above, "I'm coming love...Just a little longer." He said to the air...

___________________________________________________________________________

It was late afternoon when Adeline and her companions arrived in Kalm, checking into their respective rooms at the inn. Kadaj and his brothers where in a room across from hers and Vincent was next door. Vincent had been oddly okay about the add company, seeing no real harm in bringing the boys along, to the raven girls relief. She had been a bit worried about it after waking the next day and realizing it was kind of rude to invite the boys without consulting her friend first. He had even made the statement that it was likely better that way.

He always seemed to know when something was bothering her more than normal. When night rolled around the festival began, music and dancing erupting in the streets, crowds forming quickly around stalls of food and games. Balloons drifting in the air along with the laughter and joy of all in attendance. The boys had immediately wanted to go out, but Adeline had not felt like it much, she was tired. Having not slept well the night before. Reluctantly the three silverette's agreed to leave her there, all of them wearing hats of some sort to hide their hair.

So, there she lay, staring at the ceiling. Sometimes out the window by her bed, out at the sky beyond it and the balloons drifting toward the stars. She could hear the music clearly, it was up beat and cheerful. But it did nothing to lightening her mood. "Sephiroth...if you can hear me...please...I-I need to know...if your still coming..." She whispered softly into the dark room, receiving no reply. Rolling onto her side, she hugged her pillow, whimpering softly.

The raven jumped, startled by what sounded like an explosion somewhere in the distance. Wiping her eyes, she sat up, looking out the window. She could see smoke and the tell tale signs of a fire off in the city and frowned, what could have happened? She didn't get the chance to wonder long, as she had stood to leave the room, intending to go find the boys, weapons at the ready in their holsters on her hips. A second explosion rocked the inn itself, the blast throwing Adeline backward, causing her to hit her head pretty hard on a dresser.

She groaned, lifting a hand to the throbbing place on her temple, getting to her feet. "What the hell...?" She mumbled, lifting her eyes as her door was thrown open, Vincent appearing on the other side. "We need to go. Now!" He said urgently, not waiting more than a second before darting down the hallway, his gun out. She followed, panic welling in her, worry for Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz spilling over her like cold water. Were they okay?!

Outside it was a mess, people screaming and running, strange looking soldiers marching about in groups shooting or taking people hostage. They were taking people off in large, seemingly random, numbers. Loading them in big metal crates, helicopters carrying them to Gaia only knew where. In all the chaos Adeline lost track of Vincent, at some point ending up in one of the now abandoned houses, crouched in a room on the second floor. She was reloading her guns, already having gotten into a few nasty fire fights, she had no idea why this was happening or who these people belonged to.

The raven panted softly, sweat dripping down her brow, she sat there in the dark. A thought occurred to her, a dark one rearing it ugly head. If she died this night, would she see Sephiroth? Would he be waiting for her? The boys could survive without her, right? She could just walk out there, right now, let them gun her down and it would be over. All it. The pain and sorrow, the fear and sadness, could be washed away.

She frowned softly, considering it, for a moment. But then she thought of Loz, of how sad he would be. Of Yazoo, that he wouldn't be able to cope with his own sadness without someone to talk to. And Kadaj, who would probably find some crazy reason to blame himself. A small smile lifted on her lips, she couldn't just leave them like that, no matter how sweet death sounded. Shaking her head, she stood, taking a deep breath.

The raven froze, hearing foot steps coming up the stairs beyond the door. Aiming her guns, she waited with baited breath, ready for anything. Except what actually came through the door...Loz, of all people, came bursting in. Looking a mess, his jeans and dark shirt torn, hat missing. He looked on the verge of panicked tears. He went still when he saw her, briefly looking about to attack, before he realized it was Adeline. "Sister!" He gasped, rushing forward and pulling her into a tight hug.

"Loz?" She gasped, chuckling a little and smiling, she patted his back. He put her down, looking ready to cry even more now. Crimson eyes looked past the large man, but saw no one else. The smile faltered, "Where are...your brothers?" She asked, praying the answer was not what her mind was screaming out at her.

"I-I....Those men...they...they shot Yazoo...and...and took Kadaj!" Loz sobbed, clinging to her. She felt the life leave her, dropping her guns with a loud thunk, red eyes wide and dark. Shakily, she pushed Loz back a little, "We...we need to stay calm. We need to find out where they took Kadaj." She said, her voice eerily calm. She forced her emotions down, deep down into a case in her mind, which she locked carefully. The raven could not handle this. Not now. Not ever. Was fate really so cruel? It had already taken so much from her.

________________________________________________________________

After getting Loz calmed down, picking up her weapons, giving one to the older man to use, they departed the building. Somehow they managed to find Vincent, who informed them that Reeve was going to rendezvous with them at the big church, so they followed him, hoping perhaps Reeve would know something about all this and maybe where Kadaj had been taken. Most of Kalm was in ruins or in flames at this point, the soldiers weren't exactly retreating but there seemed fewer of them. At the church, it was quiet, at first. But they soon found themselves under fire by one of the helicopters...

Adeline was thankful that Vincent was not entirely human, though she had not know about his beast like form until then, if had been a great help. She doubted she could have kept Loz safe much longer the way that thing had shot bullets and missiles like it had an endless supply. Reeve appeared not long afterward, with reinforcements and just in the nick of time as several of those unknown soldiers converged on the court yard.

The elder man lead the three of them away, out of harms way, in order to talk. The news he gave was not good. "Edge...Your sure there's no one left?!" Adeline asked in astonishment and horror, "Almost, we sent a team out their to gather the survivors and have them brought to headquarters, but we haven't heard back. I was hoping you wouldn't mind going to check it out, I realize its dangerous, but I don't know who else to ask. We don't have enough man power for a full scale war like this." Reeve explained grimly, Vincent nodded, but Adeline hesitated. "I...can't. I'm sorry. I want to help, but...they took Kadaj. I need to find him...and...recover Yazoo's...." She couldn't bring herself to say it, swallowing hard against the pain, Loz started to cry where he sat beside her on the ground.

Reeve nodded, understanding, "My men have already recovered many of the injured and...deceased. Perhaps you should start at headquarters and I can tell you what little I know about the situation." Adeline nodded in agreement, kneeling down to explain it to Loz, trying to get him to calm down again. 

_________________________________________

At the WRO it was even more chaotic than it had been in Kalm, though none of those strange soldiers were there, people were running around like mad. They were taking supplies, tending to the injured, preparing for battle. All at the same time. Adeline took Loz to where they were taking care of survivors, leaving him in there care for the time being, he was exhausted at this point and didn't seem ready to do much anytime soon. This gave the raven a chance to corner Reeve about this whole mess, that and she was not ready to go seeking the deceased, more and more of which were being brought in and loaded into a hanger bay deeper in the building. They were still bringing in a few injured here and there, but it was dwindling. She tried not to think about, Loz had seen his brother shot, that was all there was. It was a flimsy hope to think somehow he was okay.

In Reeve's office the elder man told her a bit about this strange army, showing her images and a news feed from a week or so prier, she had not been aware of it. She didn't pay much mind to the news. "Deepground...?" She asked skeptically, frowning at the images before her and what she was being informed, they were part of Shin-Ra.

"Yes, I doubt Rufus was even aware of them. He took over the company so suddenly after his fathers death and with everything that took place pretty quickly afterward, he was not informed of all the goings on in the company. As far as we can tell this was one of Hojo's pet projects." Reeve told her, sitting on a chair at the desk in the room, looking tired. She shudder at that name, looking off, "Even from the grave that man brings nothing but grief..." She murmured, "And you thing there in Midgar, this Deepground?"

"Yes, we believe their base is somewhere beneath the Shin-Ra main building. I sent someone in to recon, but I lost contact with them." He sighed deeply, "I want to know why they captured so many people in Kalm and Edge."

"I want to know why they targeted Kadaj. It seems strange they only took him. If they just wanted Jenova subject they would have taken Yazoo too, I would think." Adeline speculated, crossing her arms, humming, at last she straightened. "I think I'm going to do some digging. Can I barrow a ride?"

"Where on Gaia are you going to go?" Reeve asked, confused, but standing to call someone in. "Nebelheim. All this mess started there, right? Hojo's crazy experiments originated there, so maybe something will help."

The elder nodded in agreement after a moments thought, one of the many WRO soldiers entered the room and he proceeded to explain what he need, but was cut off when some one announced they had lost contact with Valentine. Reeve's jaw tightened and he nodded, looking to Adeline, "I know you said you couldn't, but I'm asking as a friend, will you come with me to Edge?"

The raven girl nodded without hesitation, she wanted to find Kadaj, more than anything. But Vincent was her friend to, as was Reeve, they needed her now. Something told her that Kadaj was okay, at least for now, they had taken him alive after all. So they likely wouldn't kill him, though she was no closer to a reason why they needed him. Shaking her head, she followed Reeve, she really had to get that wandering mind of hers taken care of.

__________________________________________________

They had been lucky, to find the Edge deserted, though it took awhile to find Vincent. He was passed out amongst the rubble of a large hole they could only assume he had been thrown threw. The drive back to HQ was quiet, for the most part. Adeline attempted to contact Rufus Shin-Ra, hoping he could help somehow, maybe send them some of the files he had salvaged from the Shin-Ra building. But it proved useless, his phone had been disconnected. She could only speculate why, oddly enough she hoped he was okay. She hated his guts, sure. But she had grown sort of fond of the man in a weird way, though she had not talked to him in some time, she was well aware the anonymous amounts of money showing up in her bank account seemed to large to belong to anyone else; She wasn't the only one who got them. And was not really hard to figure out.

A groan brought her out of her revere, turning her dark eyes to Vincent, who sat up slowly. She shot him a weak smile, before glancing at her phone, Loz hadn't messaged her yet. She had told him to if he needed her. He had not wanted her to go without him, but she had insisted her rest or at least try to do some good around HQ, to take his mind off things. Her mind was elsewhere while the other two talked. The smaller of the three was trying to keep her mind on certain things, avoiding the things she knew would tear her apart if she dwelled on them long.

On the screens in the truck a garbled transmission came through, showing a man sitting upon a thrown. He began to speak in a deep, gruff sort of voice, darkness dripping from it. "At last..." The voice made Adeline shuddered, eerily reminding her of someone, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "The time as come...To cleanse this world. The pure will be spared, for the cause." The strange mane explained, motioning with his hands to emphasize his meaning. Adeline moved to stand by Reeve, trying to get a better look at the man on the screen, frowning deeply.

"While tainted will be...Hunted down and exterminated. They shall be slash, strangled and slaughtered."

The three people watching turned grim eyes on eachother, before looking back at the psycho talking.

"Beaten, stabbed, and crushed. Garroted and impaled. Shot and executed without mercy. The time has come to cleanse this world. HmhmhmhahahahAHAHAHAHAH!" Laughter, mad laughter filled the air, before the transmission cut out. Static hissed on the screen.

Adeline straightening, her fists shaking at her side, anger barely contained. "He killed...Yazoo...to cleanse this planet?!" Her voice was hushed, neither Reeve nor Vincent said anything, glancing at her. Vincent recognized hatred in her eyes, dark and consuming, "I swear...I will rip that man limb from limb for this!" Her voice rose to a shot and Reeve jerked a little, lifting his hands, like he meant to calm her. "You need to calm down. We'll find these people as quickly as we can but this is not the time to lose our heads." Bad idea.

"Loose our heads?! That psycho is systematically killing and kidnaping masses! He murdered Yazoo and took Kadaj!" She slammed her fist into the screen, cracking it without even realizing. "He hurt my family! I will not calm down!" She shouted, stumbling when the truck jerked, something having hit it. All three of them looked to the doors, Reeve moving to open them and try to find out what had happened. They appeared to be under attack by some large wild dogs, the really vicious monster kind.

Lucky the truck was equipped with a mini-gun and two trained marksmen, namely herself and Vincent. It felt good to take some steam off on the beasts, though they nearly lost Vincent when he got on top of the truck to take out some of the ride along's as they went over a gorge where the bridge was out and they had not known it. The ended up crashing the truck. Vincent forged on ahead to HQ, while Adeline stayed behind with Reeve, as a sort of bodyguard it seemed. His intentions for bringing her. He was not a fighter by a long shot.

The drivers were working away on the engine, when Reeve approached Adeline, looking cautious. "I'm sorry about earlier. I was only-"

"Don't...Reeve. Just don't." She replied, looking away, sitting on top of a large rock. She played with one of her knives, distraction. Reeve shook his head, "I can understand your upset-" He started, but she shot him a look, the anger boiling up again. "Can you Reeve, really? Can you understand what it feels like to see everyone you love taken from you? Every time you think, its going to be okay now, my life is okay. And then have it torn apart, over and over?" She replied, hoping off the rock, bearing down on the man with a hard glare, despite him being taller he backed up. "I lost my parents when I was fifteen, to monster Shin-Ra had let loose in the slums. I lost my best friend to a random murder when I was twenty-four. My baby before it even got to see the light of day." She continued, voice grown in volume, "I lost the man I loved! My friends! And just when I thought my life was going to settle down, just when I thought the ones I loved were safe, I lost someone else! I will not be calm anymore Reeve! I'm sick of always feeling so horrible I might be sick from it! Of feeling like a helpless little girl! I'm sick of being left alone in this hell whole of a life I'm living!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, letting her frustration out the only way she could without throttling the man in front of her.

Afterward she was left panting, stalking away from him, she paced to and fro irritably. Distracted only by the ring of her phone, picking it up without looking, "What?!" She shouted without meaning to, taking a deep breath when she heard Loz stammering on the other line. "I'm sorry. Its okay Loz...Please don't cry...Just tell me what's wrong...You...what?! N-Shit! I'll be there as soon as I can!"

She flipped the phone shut, going in the direction of HQ, "Where are you going?!" Reeve asked, following after her, "Headquarters is under attack!" She told him, breaking into a run, he tried to keep up. 

* * *

She was so close, she could hear the fighting in the distance, the hail of gun fire. Somewhere behind her she could also hear Reeve yelling at her to wait for him, but she ignored it. She would not risk loosing Loz like she had his brothers, that was the only thought fueling her to push forward, to run faster despite the burning in her lungs telling her to catch her breath.  She should have paid more attention, should have watched where she was going, it might have spared her the bullets that ripped through her shoulder and left leg.

The raven cried out, crumbling and rolling across the ground from her own momentum, hands going to the hole in her thigh. She cried out a curse, gritting her teeth, she forced herself into a sitting position. A string of curse left her between the gasps of air to relieve the pain in her chest, left hand wielding a ready gun. She scanned the area, trying to find her assailant. Her eyes landed on a strange cloud of black mist erupting from the rocks of the cliff on her left, from it emerged a tall figure clad in similar clothes at the soldiers that kept popping up all over the place.

He wore some sort of restraints on his face, keeping his mouth covered. His arms too were restrained, but he wielded his weapons, guns, using some rather strange looking metal wing like appendages protruding from his back. "I've tracked you down at last...Lover of the Angelic One." His voice was soft, whispery and dark, not entirely in a bad way. But his words unnerved her, confused her. All the could do was gaze on warily as he approached, holstering his gun as if he thought she would come with him quietly. "Stay back! I don't know who you are or what your talking about. But I am not going with you if that's what your intending." She said firmly, aiming her gun, ready to shoot if she needed, but he didn't seem at all fazed. His advance did not falter, "My brother requires you to come back with me, he means you know harm. He said he wants to talk."

"Your...brother?" She mumbled, lowering her gun slightly, curious. He was clearly a part of Deepground or at least might know something, perhaps he could lead her to..."What's your name?"

He seemed to hesitate a little, shifting a bit, head tilted a little. His eyes met hers after a moment, "Nero." Came the simple and short reply, he reached out for her, but she stopped him. "Wait. I never said I was going to go with you. I have no guarantee you or this brother of yours don't intend to hurt me." The raven man seemed to contemplate her words, understanding in his eyes, he knelt on his knee before her. "I swear to bring you no harm and to defend you from harm should the need arise. Is that fair?"

She couldn't help thinking he was rather chivalrous for a man who had shot her to get her attention, slowly she put her gun away, getting to her feet. He straightened, standing well over a head taller than her. Why did she always feel so small compared to everyone else? "Alright...I'll go with you."

Nero nodded, lifting a and to the side, a cloud of black mist, large enough to envelope a person appeared beside them. He stepped through first, partially, holding a hand out for her to take. Which she did, but not before reaching into the pocket of her shorts, flipping open her phone. She was going to text Loz, tell him she was okay, that she would see him soon...

"Adeline don't! He's one of them!" She whipped her head around, seeing Reeve just as he reached her, grabbing the arm she was holding her phone with. Nero took her hand, yanking her roughly into the shadows with him, the motion causing her to drop her phone. And then Reeve was gone.

____________________________________________________________

They were somewhere else, in darkness, wreathing blackness that seemed to claw at her almost physically. A gasp left her, it felt like her body might be ripped apart by the pain that swelled in her from seemingly no where... And then it was over. They stepped from the shadows into a corridor, a dim light coming from the florescent bulbs lining the ceiling. She had no clue where they were, but it looked something like an old base of sorts or a facility of some kind. Strange noise seemed to emit from all over the place, softly, eerily. It reminded her of one of the those late night horror movies she watched years ago.

Nero let her go, walking a few steps ahead, before he noticed she was not following. She whished she could see his face better, it would be so much easier to tell what he was thinking. But all she could see was his eyes, those dark red eyes that were not much different than her own. "Where are we...?" She asked hesitantly, looking around them at the dingy metal walls and flickering lights, slowly walking toward him. He turned from her to keep walking, deciding she was following now, but slowly. "This is home. I have lived here all my life." He replied, voice devoid of anything, like joy or sadness, he just seemed to consider it a fact. "..your whole life...Why? Why would you stay here?" She frowned, coming up beside him, trying to read something, anything, in his eyes. His raven bangs swayed in front of his face, blocking her view every now and again.

"I was waiting for my brother to awaken and he has, at last. But his true awakening is to come and when it does we shall go forth into the world and cleanse it of evil!" He seemed enamored of what he was saying, like it was the greatest purpose in the world. Adeline's frowned deepened, she did her best to hide the spark of hatred in her chest at his words, she had a sinking feeling his brother must be the nut from that transmission. She stopped walking, staring him down, "What evil? The world has been peaceful for the better part of year! What could you possibly be cleansing? You've murdered innocent people for no good reason." Her voice was full of conviction, firm in her belief that these people were the evil.

He stopped, shooting her a dark look, "You of all people should sense the evil. You are the Lover of the Angelic One, your heart is the purest and most perfect. Brother says you will help us achieve our goal! You must help us!" His attitude turned fevered as he turned on her, walking up to her, leaning toward her in the most uncomfortable way. He had her back against the wall, her nerves on end, screaming at her to run or attack or something! Anything! "What the hell are you talking about!? Who is the Angelic One?!" She shouted at him, his wings were caging her from running in either direction, she could almost see the glee in his eyes. Sense the smile on his face, "You will rule alongside brother! You and he will repopulate this world with pure children, the ultimate race! Can't you see it? It will be the greatest honor any could receive!"

"Your insane!" She swallowed hard, thinking fast, she head butted him, hard enough to make him stagger back. It gave her a chance to make a run for it, darting the way they had come. Her feet echoed loudly in the empty halls as she ran blindly down one corridor and another, Nero screaming at her to stop all the way. He appeared suddenly in front her, from the shadows, his arms free now. Ready to grab her, but she slid to a stop, almost falling. The small girl shifted, running a different way, down another hall. Something was glowing brightly at the end and she ran full force toward it...Almost stumbling over the metal railing into what seemed to be the heart of a mako reactor. She slammed into it hard, gripping the rails. Panting, she looked around wildly, she need to get away from this guy! She had to find Kadaj! This was her only chance!

There was no where for her to go, no stairs or ramps or anything. Turning around, back pressed against the metal, Nero was coming closer and closer. Vaguely she realized he had yet to try and shoot her again, was he really keeping his word? She did the unthinkable, in a last ditch effort, she climbed onto the railing with her back still to the glow. "Don't come any closer! I swear to Gaia I will jump!"

He froze, narrowing crimson eyes, seeming to weigh his options. He was probably ten feet away from her, if she jumped he could jump after her and save her, but it was risky. Nero wanted to call his brother, but knew he would be furious if he found out that this had happened. So they stood there, staring at each other, each waiting for the other to make a move. "I'm not going to help you. I can't. I will not love another, not ever again. Especially when that person took my family away!" Adeline yelled at him, swaying dangerously on the thin rail, glancing a moment over her shoulder. It was forty foot drop into Mako, nothing to grab onto or save her. She could only pray she could survive the fall let alone getting soaked in the stuff below. As a child she had heard rumors about what mako did to a person who was exposed to it for too long, illness and death.

Her eyes shot up when she heard Nero shift toward her, seeing his hands out stretched to her, his eyes seeming to swirling with an unknown emotion. Like confusion or regret. "Your...family?" He asked, voice soft, curious. She relaxed a marginal amount, maybe she could use this, was he sympathetic about family? Like Kadaj and Loz? "Yes, he killed one of my brothers in Kalm and kidnapped the other..." She told him, watching the way he lowered his arms, looking away from her. "Help me...please? You must know what he's doing is wrong?"

Nero turned his eyes, watching her from their corners, then looked at the floor off to the side. He seemed to be thinking it over...

________________________________________

Reeve reached HQ as quickly as he could, finding things in a mess, he did his best to get it under control. Catching up with Vincent and almost getting them both killed by Azul, but thankfully Vincent had thought fast and found a missile launcher to lower the beast of a mans defenses.

Currently Azul's corpse was sitting in an autopsy chamber, ready for Shalua to take a look at him, but she was too busy trying to take care of the injured. Once things seemed to settled down, Reeve proceeded to try and tell Vincent what had happened on his way there.

On the first floor, in the main part of the building, a commotion broke out. Yelling erupted as several of the WRO formed a semi-circle around a lone figure, nervously waving their guns. The figure didn't seem ready to stop, walking forward until they stood in the middle of the room, not fully surrounded. Their expression was one of calm, teal colored eyes looking around, taking in the environment. Silvery hair fell down their bare back, the figure only wearing black leather pants and knee high combat boots. He didn't appear to be armed or looking for a fight, just looking for something he clearly thought he would find there despite the threat level.

Reeve and Vincent emerged on the balcony high above, skirting around it to reached the elevator and get down there for a better look. It was questionable who was in more shock, Reeve, Vincent, or the WRO frantically trying to figure out what to do. It was Vincent who stepped forward, gun raised and ready to take the silverette out right then and there. As if Deepground was not enough, now they had, "Sephiroth. What are you doing here?" The red clad marksmen asked, eyes narrowed on the man before him who raised his arms in a motion of peace, "I mean none of you any harm. I am only seeking someone and thought I might find some help here."

"What help could we possibly offer? Better yet...how are you even alive?" Reeve asked, standing just a bit behind Vincent, arms crossed. He seemed nervous, shifting every now and again, which only made his soldiers more anxious. "It's a bit complicated...I know you well enough Reeve, I've known you since I was a boy. I simply thought you might be able to tack someone down, I've looked in all the likely places, but it seems I have missed a rather catastrophic event."

He paused, lowering his arms, "I want answers Reeve and my patience is thin. I have waited far too long for this." It was not so much a threat as a plea, his eyes showing his sincerity. Reeve debated on wither to believe him, but nodded to his men none the less, ordering them to lower their weapons. "Fine, I will offer what help I can. Perhaps in return you could aid us in our efforts?"

It was a risky move, but Sephiroth was known for his prowess in the battlefield, both as a fighter and leader. He could be a great asset to the WRO in their efforts against Deepground. Though he did wonder who he was looking for, which he would soon find out he was sure. The silverette nodded, "Fair enough."

"Lets discuss all this in my office." Reeve said, leading the silverette and a reluctant looking Vincent upstairs. The silence was uncomfortable, the three of them sitting their, waiting for one of them to speak. "How do we know your not going to turn on us?" It was Vincent who spoke, leaning up against the wall near the door, eyes hard. He couldn't help but be distrustful, despite know what he did from Adeline, Sephiroth had only ever caused harm when the man had known him. Sephiroth looked over his shoulder, expression remaining one of ultimate calm, but his eyes betrayed the turmoil and nervousness he was feeling in that moment.

He had just come from Edge, having found the place deserted, but for the corpses littering the streets. He had felt a sinking in his stomach, fearing the worst for the one he was looking for. Which is what lead him to Reeve, he knew from his last dive into Yazoo's mind that his beloved was friends with this man. It was also how he had found the base, since Yazoo had been there before with her. "I can assure you, Mr. Valentine, I am of no threat to you or yours. I would not harm her friends so long as they did not seek to harm her or myself."

"Her?" Reeve frowned, looking at Sephiroth from across his desk, the screens around the room flickering every now and again. "Yes, the one I'm looking for, is Adeline Winter. If I'm not mistaken she is close friends with at least one person in the room." He answered, shooting the marksmen a pointed look, before returning his gaze to Reeve. The grim look that crossed the other mans expression set him on edge, but his words made his heart stop for a moment. "She's missing."

Teal eyes narrowed, darkening, "What do you mean?" Reeve looked uncomfortable, running a hand through his wild black hair, "It's complicated, but I'll try to give the short version."

__________________________________

"I...I will help you find your family." Nero said at last, taking a step forward, jerking a little when Adeline shifted at his movement and almost fell. She still looked skeptical, but slowly lowered herself from the rail, gripping it firmly. "Thank you Nero, I'll make it up to you somehow I-HAH!" Her boot slipped, body falling through the air, she thought for a second this was the end. Lucky for her Nero had been much closer than earlier and was able to grab her hand, dangling dangerously over the edge himself. Her heart raced as she stared down at the Mako below, swallowing the lump in her throat, that was so not how she wanted to go.

Nero pulled her up, helping her back onto the platform. Adeline let out a breath she had not realized she was holding, leaning over on her knees, her left thigh was still a little achy. But it was tolerable, more so than her shoulder now, the fall and Nero's save had aggravated the bullet wound there. Standing up straight, she reached up to put hand over the slowly bleeding spot, grimacing. Doing her best not to think about it. "If your brother was brought in there is only one of two places he could be...I can only hope it is the second and not first." Nero told her, waiting patiently for her to recover, he was going to help her, but he intended to try and convince her to help them. Somehow.

The two walked backed through the corridors, Adeline really had no idea where they were going, she just had to have faith Nero was not going to double cross her. It seemed hours before they stopped at a door, Nero tapping a code into the keypad next to it so the door would slide open. Inside, the rooms lights came on, revealing the last place Adeline ever wanted to see again. It was clean and smelled of chemicals, a few mako tubs against the wall, pods on one side and a long counter of familiar equipment and a computer. Medical table in the center, a body of some monstrous being on it, in the middle of being dissected it seemed. The raven girl thought she might be sick, stumbling back against the wall near the door, wide eyes looking around the room in horror.

Crimson eyes landed on one of the many tubes, seeing a figure floating within the blue-green liquid. Her stomach turned violently, legs taking her toward it, hands shaking as she reached up to place them against the glass. Elbow length silver hair danced around a thin figure with a gaping wound in their chest, a strange machine with tubes coming out of it. The figure's eyes were closed and did not seem responsive. As far as she could tell they were no alive. "Y-Yazoo....Oh Gaia...no..." Tears blurred her vision, hands forming fists as she hit the glass once, twice, before slipping to her knees. "I'm so sorry...I-if only I had gone with you...I shouldn't have let you all go alone!" She wept, biting her lip hard, this was her fault. All of it was her fault.

Nero remained silently, glancing at the being in the tube, he looked to another door in the room. "He was not the only one brought here, brother seemed very interested in the boy that looks much like him." The raven said, walking to the door to open it, revealing a long hall with doors that had tiny windows on them, strange moans and growls emitting from them. Adeline took a few deep breaths, forcing herself together, she needed to find Kadaj. All she could do was pray he was alive.

Following Nero, she did not dare look in the windows of the cells, they passed. This place brought back so many unwanted memories. It was all the girl could do not to allow her panic to take control and run away from there, hugging herself in an attempt to stay calm, as calm as she could be under the circumstances. Toward the end of the hall Nero paused, looking into a cell window, before looking at her. He seemed to be expecting her to look as well. Hesitantly she moved forward, turning her eyes to the glass, seeking what was beyond it. Sure enough she saw a figure curled in the corner wearing a dirty blue shirt and jeans, silver hair a mess around his head, his face hidden by it. She swallowed the tears, "Open the door, please..."

"I can't." Nero answered at once, staring at her, seeing the anger flare in her eyes as she turned on him and grabbed a fist full of his uniform near his neck, "The hell? That's my brother! You said you were going to help me!" She shouted at him, not seeing the figure in the cell move, lifting their head to see who was yelling.

Kadaj's heart leapt, getting to his feet and rushing over to the glass, seeing Adeline and one of those men he had seen when he arrived there. He pounded on the glass, getting her attention, regretting it a moment later when the man struck her hard on the back of the head. Knocking her out cold. He screamed at him, to Adeline, begging her to get up.

Nero picked her up with the utmost care, "I'm sorry...but your far to important for brother, I am certain you will change your mind after meeting him." The winged man said softly, taking her away, to where he had meant to hours ago as his brother had wanted. 

__________________________________________________

"As it stands we are still trying to pin point their exact location, so we have no way of knowing where they took Adeline or Kadaj. Let alone their reasons for doing so..." Reeve concluded his explanation, sighing heavily, he had been pacing his office as he talked. "Right now, we could really use someone like you Sephiroth, your a skilled general, someone who could train the troops we have and guide them to an almost assured victory. We all have the similar goals in the end. I am asking for you to help us, please?"

The silverette looked less than please, eyes distant, fingers against his lips as he thought. Every now and again he would tap his foot, that habit of his. It was not that he did not wish to assist the WRO, as it was he would have liked to better his name that that monster Jenova has sullied. But his priority, first and foremost, was Adeline's safety. He was somewhat aware that she was struggling to move forward, while he had been in the Lifestream he had done his best to stay connected to her somehow, but it expended energy that had slowed him from making his way back to the living to ultimately join her. So he had lessened his contact more and more, only checking in on occasion. He looked up at Reeve, eyes serious, "Who says they will listen to me? I imagine many, if not all, of them hold a fait grudge against me for my actions in the past."

"I can convince them you want to help, that you have changed, it won't be easy. But frankly I am desperate right now. I have no doubt that Adeline will be at the Deepground base when we find it and I will have no qualms about you infiltrating it as you see fit to save her." The director said, sitting back down at last, hands folded on the desk in front of him. The silverette shut his eyes in thought, letting out a long breath, for now this seemed his only option. Since he could no longer use the Lifestream to stay connected with Adeline. "Fine, I will train your troops and in exchange you will help me find this Deepground."

* * *

Adeline awoke alone, in a small room, laying on a comfortable enough bed. She groaned against the ache in her head, sitting up slowly and looking around herself. The room was large enough, besides the bed, there was a couch and love seat, low coffee table between. A desk and lamp and small bookshelf of various volumes, even a small kitchen. Through an open door she could see a bathroom. It was clean, the things in the room looked mostly new. She would have assumed this was someone's apartment, but something felt very off, considering she had been knocked out and brought there.

Slowly she slipped off the bed, freezing, she looked down at herself only now. Someone had changed her cloths. Taken her weapons. She now was wearing a simple white dress, lace lining the bottom, the straps thin that held it up. Leaving her shoulders and part of her back bare. Someone had even brushed her hair. The raven's stomach turned in alarm, fear trickling into her veins like ice, causing her to shiver.

She wrapped shaking arms around herself, sinking to the surface of the bed again, feeling sick to her stomach. Having no idea what else had been done to her made her feel like throwing up, trembling all over from the thoughts running rampant in her head. She heard the handle of the door on the far side room jiggle, wide eyes lifting to it, fear pooling in her stomach. The door creaked loudly in the silence, swinging open wide and banging against the wall, making the raven flinch.

In strode a tall man with pure white hair that shot out around him in wild spikes, going nearly to his lower back. He was pale and wore only pants, similar to all of those in Deepground, she noticed he didn't appear to be armed. But he was strong looking, strong enough she likely wouldn't have stood much of a shot unarmed herself. It was without a doubt the man from the transmission. His smile made her shudder again, the look in his eyes reminding her of someone else from a nightmare that continued to haunt her. "Good evening my dear, I was wondering when you might wake, Nero was afraid he struck you a bit too hard."

He said in an easy tone, walking across the room with a slow gate, not seeming in a hurry or perhaps he could sense the fear in her. He stopped a few feet away from her, behind him she could see movement, but she didn't pay it much mind. She was focused souly on the maniac before her, "You can relax my dear, I have no intentions of hurting you...assuming you cooperate." His smile turned almost animal, the way he was looking at her, like a cat who was going to get the canary.

"What the hell do you want with me?!" She shouted, unable to stop herself, she noticed Nero near the door. He wasn't looking at her, he was looking straight ahead. It didn't take rocket science to see something was wrong with him, he was not the same as before, it was as if someone had beaten the life out of him. The whitette knelt down in front of her, dangerously close, making her lean back. The raven was pinned between him and the bed, "Didn't my  _beloved_  brother tell you? You and I are to repopulate the planet once I have cleansed it. No one is more worthy or lucky than you for such a task, you are the lover of the Angel."

Adeline trembled, why did she feel so helpless right now? Like the fight had just left her completely. "No...I will not. I don't even know you and even if I did I could never love you!" She shoved him hard enough he lost his balance, not thinking, getting to her feet and marching for the door. He grabbed her ankle before she got far, yanking her hard, causing her to fall and slam her face on the floor. Tasting the copper, she lifted a shaking hand to her face, her nose bleeding; Lip busted.

"Oh my dear, this isn't about love. This is about the planet! And you have no choice, after all you wouldn't want something bad to happen to your own brothers would you?" The whitette asked, getting to his feet, he took her by the wrist roughly, pulling her up as if she were weightless and tossing her hard against the wall over the bed. Adeline landed on the soft surface, the air knocked from her lungs leaving her coughing and struggling to breath, panic filling her. Red eyes looked up at the whitette. "I will come back soon my dear. Try and relax, your going to live the life of a pampered goddess at my side. Think about it." With that he left, along with Nero, who hesitated a little. "You said...you would...protect me..." She managed to wheeze out, looking up at the other raven through her hair, before he shut the door.

The raven slipped from the bed, wiping the blood from her face, approaching the door. Testing the handle, locked. That would have been an obvious outcome. A curse slipped her lips as she began pacing, she needed to get out of there, but she knew even if she did she had no idea where she was or how to get back to Kadaj. If she escaped there was no guarantee she could save him. She had not felt this powerless in years, not since...she pushed the thought away. Trying not to picture that mans face in her mind, his laughter as he watched her wreath in pain from his tortures.

She was screwed. Completely and totally fucked. Reeve was the only one who knew she had gone with Nero and he didn't even know where Deepground was.  The likelihood anyone was coming for her was slim, very slim. "Now would be a great time for advice Sephiroth...." She murmured, knowing full well she was not going to get an answer. Pulling her knees to her chest, she hugged her legs and stared across the room at the door that lead out, waiting. Despite the threat, she still had no intentions of cooperating, hell how did she know this guy wouldn't hurt Kadaj either way?

____________________________________

Sephiroth walked along a long line of the people Reeve wanted him to train, all dressed in similar uniforms, whispers were rampant but quiet. He himself was wearing a sleeveless shirt, a borrowed piece so he was not going around shirtless, Reeve was kindly in the process of acquiring him something more suitable. No one in the seemed willing to dispute the directors decision to allow the silverette to work, let alone stay, at the WRO. Most of them were pretty unhappy about it, but they knew they had bigger problems, like a war to fight. "I imagine many of you don't want me here." The former general began to speak, his voice echoing in the hanger bay they were using as a makeshift training arena, "But, the director asked me to train you, prepare you for a war that, frankly, many of you will likely die fighting."

He stopped in the middle, gazing out at all of them, it was a familiar feeling. Being in command like he was. "I don't expect anyone of you to like me or for us to be friends. I can and will teach you how to survive on the battlefield, wither you take this knowledge and apply it? Well it's your choice to go out there and die or come back alive."

The soldiers looked amongst each other, they seemed skeptical, but many of them looked ready to listen. It was no secret that Sephiroth had lead many in the war against Wutai, that he had brought most of his men back with him victorious. "Now, I want everyone to pair off and move about the room. I want to see you fight so we know where to improve."

They did as commanded, separating and pairing off, he watched them slowly begin to fight. With fists of course for now. He would work on weapons later, though as far as he could tell they seemed prone to guns over swords. Something he was not exactly comfortable with, not that he couldn't teach them, only that he preferred the old fashioned way of fighting. Genesis had been far better at teaching and using multiple kinds of weapons. He was walking amongst the fighters, observing and putting away the his findings about those he was teaching, they weren't bad, a few needed work. But they seemed to get along well enough. In a normal war against a normal army they would have faired well.

But they were fighting an army of elite soldiers who felt no pain or remorse, leaded by monsters similar to himself. They stood almost no chance. As he passed one pair, noticing they were not really fighting very hard, seeming to be only be doing it half heartedly. "What seems to be the problem?" Sephiroth asked the two, who straightened at once, looking nervous. But one them got bold, stepping forward, "I just think this is bullshit, how does this teach us anything?" He asked, the silverette picking up anger and resentment.

The former SOLDIER smiled softly, "Do you now? Well if your so confident in your fighting skills perhaps you would prefer a stronger opponent than your friend here?" He asked, the room slowly going quiet, the others there picking up on what was going on. The ones closest to the two talking backed away, a wide circle forming. "Yeah like who?" The soldier asked, not considering who he was talking to, at first. "Then how about you take me on? Demonstrate your superior skills to the rest of the room?"

"Ah...yeah, alright. Sure! I can beat you any day!" The guy tried to look tough, puffing out his chest a bit, waiting for a reply of some kind. Secretly hoping the silver haired man would change his mind about this. Sephiroth turned his back to face the room, "Everyone move to the edges of the room, no need for anyone to get hurt that's no involved after all." He smiled pleasantly, he was actually enjoying this, he hadn't this sort of experience in years. It felt good to be back doing what he had been raised to do. Even if it was only temporary.

Once the room was cleared, Sephiroth walked to its center and waited. "Well, come at me then." A chuckle left him, teal eyes watching his opponent, who was clearly hesitating. The other man came forward, breaking into a run, letting out a war cry of sorts with his fists raised. Sephiroth easily stepped out of the way, watching the guy trip and almost fall. The soldier recovered and turned on him again, trying again to punch him, but he lifted an arm and blocked the shot. This went on for awhile, the guy getting clearly frustrated, "Damnit fight me!"

The silverette smirked, "If you can't even land a blow to me how do you expect to survive against the Tsviets?" He questioned, pushing the mans attack away easily and actually punching the man, throwing him backward to land on his ass. "Let this be a lesson to everyone in this room. If you intend to survive out there on the field you will need to become stronger, smarter and much faster than you are now." The man sat up, rubbing his jaw and glaring at the silver general. "Your are about to face off against monsters stronger, likely, than even myself! They have been raised and trained for only one purpose, to kill. They feel no pain and are unable to comprehend things like regret or remorse. They will have no mercy!"

_________________________________________

Adeline was woken by the sound of the door opening, not even realizing she had fallen asleep, her head shot up immediately. Seeing the whitette from before coming in, he appeared to be alone. "Now, don't give me that look. I've come in peace. I've brought you something to eat, I imagine you must be hungry." The whitette told her, setting a tray of food on the coffee table. She glanced at it briefly, it contained a sandwich and glass of water. Red eyes looked up at dark blue, seeing the man coming closer again, she backed away. She was against the wall, but she could have gone at least to the side to avoid him, as it was she just watched him warily.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch her face, but she jerked away. "Hmhm~ You don't trust me, I suppose I can't blame you. So, how about I give you a gift? To show you I am sincere." He snapped his fingers, something in the back of her mind flashed, the way he had done that seemed so familiar. But why? It was in the way he carried himself, it kept setting off little things on her mind, that he was just like someone she knew. But who?!

Several soldiers came through the door, two of them were dragging someone between them, who they dropped in the middle of the room. Adeline felt a lump form in her throat, moving around the whitette to get across the room, he let her pass. The raven dropped to her knees by the teen laying unconscious on the floor, his silver hair dull with dirt and blood, boy a mess of bruises and cuts. He looked as if someone had beaten the hell out of him. "K-Kadaj...? Oh Gaia, wake up, please?" She chocked back tears, pulling him gently so his head lay on her folded knees, her hands holding his head carefully. She had no idea what the existent of his injuries were and feared doing more harm, "What did you do to him you monster?!" She shouted at the whitette, who only smirked at her, standing and coming toward her. "I wanted to show you I meant what I said yesterday. You will have my children and not fight me. Or your brother will suffer for it. Am I clear?"

Her lip quivered, she looked down at the limp silverette, what choice did she have? They would beat him till he died is she went against this man. But she couldn't bring herself to accept this despite the very clear threat. To let this man soil her body for his own gains...she would never forgive herself. But neither would she if he hurt Kadaj. The whitette hummed over her, "Perhaps I need to give you better incentive, though I really thought this would be enough to persuade you. Maybe I was mistaken in thinking you really cared for this boy."

He picked Kadaj up by the collar of his tattered shirt, the teen letting out a soft groan, unaware of what was happening. The whitette raised his fist, intending to hit Kadaj...Adeline stood, moving quickly, to get between them. She expected to take the hit, closing her eyes tightly, hearing the smack. But she didn't feel the impact or the pain that should have come. Opening her eyes, she saw someone holding the mans fist at bay, recognizing the black nails her eyes turned to the owner. Nero did not meet his brothers eyes or hers, just looked off to the side, "Weiss...please...Is there not another way to convince her?"

Weiss narrowed his eyes, letting Kadaj go and lowering his fist, "Hm, maybe your right Nero." The man smiled, moving to the door, the soldiers flooding out without a word. "I shall visit again then, please, eat your lunch." Once everyone was out, the raven turned to Kadaj, swallowing her tears. She lifted Kadaj, putting his arm over her shoulder and leading him to the bed, he was somewhat awake now. "Wh-where am I...?" His voice was horse, likely from screaming or something similar. "Your...your safe now. Just relax okay...?" The raven forced herself to sound calm, laying the other gently down, "You need rest."

Kadaj lay back, his breathing was slow after a few minutes, she thought maybe he had gone to sleep. She wished she had something to help him, like her materia or a potion, but she had nothing. Shakily, she slipped to sit on the floor. Behind her she heard shifting, assuming the teen was trying to get more comfortable. A gentle hand came to rest on the top of her head, startling her, she blinked back tears she didn't realize she was shedding, sniffling softly. "What is it?" She asked, wiping her face and smiling at Kadaj, but the look faltered when she saw the expression on his face.

"You can't...blame yourself for all of this." He told her quietly, letting his hand slip to rest beside him, curled on his side a bit to be closer to her. He looked so tired. The raven shook her head, strands of black falling into her eyes, though it did little to hide her sorrow. "How can I not? I...If I had gone with you in Kalm...I could have saved you. Could have saved Yazoo...We wouldn't be in this mess if I had just sucked up my feelings instead of letting them rule me."

"Adeline..."

"It's the truth Kadaj...I need to move on, don't I? It's been two years...no, really its been five. I shouldn't keep feeling this way, I should be able to just let it go...let...let him go. I know he isn't coming back...You don't just come back from the dead. I-I..."

"It's not your fault Adeline...Its not like he died naturally. Its not like the situation was a normal one where you could just pick yourself back up like anyone else. You lost so much. You took one blow after another. But...your still here. Adeline your the strongest person I've ever met, wither you know it or not. You've kept going, even though every step was more painful than the next. It's okay to feel sad and let yourself go once and awhile." Kadaj smiled, wrapping the raven in a gentle and slightly awkward hug from where he lay, letting her sob herself to sleep there. He only wished he knew how to get them out of there, he had no idea what that freak wanted with them, but he knew it wasn't good.

He wished Yazoo was there, he had always been the strategist. The silverette tried not to dwell on it for now, Adeline was already upset and she needed someone to be a rock for her, so he was taking that upon himself.

It was quiet for a long time, nothing but the faint sounds of creaking metal from beyond the windowless room. But, of course, the door opened just as Kadaj was drifting to sleep himself. He felt Adeline jerk, his arm around her shoulder tightened. The silverette sat up, ignoring the way his body screamed at him, shooting a glare at Weiss. On the floor Adeline sat stiffly, waiting to see what the whitette was going to do now, that ever present smile setting her nerves alight. "Relax my dear, I come baring a gift, a very special gift just for you. I was planning to save it for later, but perhaps it will set your mind more at ease."

"What gift could you ever give that could make me anything but sick?" She asked bitingly, getting to her feet, the dress she wore spilling to her ankles. Weiss's eyes darkened a moment, he was in front of her before she could blink, hands around her throat. "I suggest you consider very carefully how you speak to me, there is more than one way for me to get what I want from you. I am being very civil about this for now, but so help me I can make your life hell." He whispered darkly in her ear, backing away in time for Nero to come through the door. Adeline's shoulders shook softly, her jaw tightening, she could not let him see her fear. She would not let him rule her.

"I hope you like your gift..." Nero said in a soft calm voice, kneeling down on one knee, speaking gently to a young child next to him. The boy was likely around four or maybe five years old, with shoulder length, curly silver hair and dark red eyes. He looked up at her, walking over slowly, seeming curious. Looking so innocent. Adeline gazed a long time at the child, heart wrenching, there was something very familiar about this boy besides his distinctly silver hair. She glared at Weiss, "What is this? Some kind of sick joke?" She asked, watching as Weiss began to pace slightly, not really looking at her. She could see the joy in his features, he knew he had struck a nerve. "Not at all, I just thought you would want to see your  _ **son**_."

Crimson eyes narrowed, the word, that way he said it. "My son...died in the womb when I was seven months pregnant." She replied, Weiss not seeming deterred by the information. The look on his face, the way he smiled at her, like he knew something she did not. "Is that right? If I'm not mistaken it was because of a bullet wound to your abdomen, am I correct?"

Her fists were so tight she felt her nails digging into her skin, gritting her teeth, "Dr. Hollander was with you, he's the one that attempted to save you. Tell me, did you ever actually see the childs body afterward?"

"No, he was wrapped in a blanket...I was anemic and couldn't stay conscious long enough. That doesn't prove anything." Her voice faltered a little, she didn't want to believe this, it was impossible. "I buried him, I held him in that blanket. I visited his grave daily, he's buried on the summit of Mt. Nebel." She said firmly, but couldn't help glancing at the toddler looking up at her, seeming to be investigating her. He did look like Sephiroth, not just by his hair, but in his face, the paleness of his skin, the high cheek bones. Even the shape of his eyes was familiar. He had her eyes, her nose. "Is it so hard to believe?" Weiss asked, smiling at her, kneeling down and placing his hands on the boys shoulders. "Even if he had survived...where and how would Hollander have hidden it not only from me, but from Genesis?!" Her voice was trembling, she was losing her resolve, could Hollander have really been able to keep this from her? And why? To what ends would he gain from hiding her son from her?

"Simple. He gave him to Professor Hojo, in exchange Shin-Ra was to leave you and him be. It was easy to hide it from you and Genesis, after all, neither of you would have had the heart to really look twice at the thing in that blanket." The whitette straightened, pushing the child closer to her with a gentle shove, smirking. The joy in his eyes only grew as he watched her, saw the way she looked at the small silver haired boy, his little hands reaching out to grab a hand full of her dress.

Adeline couldn't help it, unable to ignore the little boy, she kneelt down. The smile on her face held pain, "Nero says your my mommy? Are you...?" The child asked, he seemed pretty smart for his age, if he was as old as she thought before. But assuming he was indeed her son, he would be nearly six, going on seven. The raven chocked on her words, swallowing thickly around a lump in her throat, "I...I don't know..." She mumbled, being honest, she didn't know what to say. 

The raven couldn't deny that she had always wished her son had survived, always dreamed that somehow he would just be okay and she would wake from a deep nightmare and everything she had experienced was just that. A nightmare. But this was not what she wanted to wake to. Her baby already seven years old and no father around, both of them captive to some psycho. "How...how do I know this is the truth. You could have made all that up." Red eyes met blue, somehow she felt like he was being honest, but it still begged the question how he knew all this.

"Consider my offer dear, I'll return in a day or so. I'll let you spend some time with little  _ **Nyx.**_ " Weissreplied, before leaving the room with Nero, the door slamming closed behind them. Kadaj watched them go, before looking at Adeline, seeing the expression on her face. He didn't think he had seen her look more upset in the entire time he had known her, like she had watched Sephiroth be killed right in front of her. The raven shakily knelt down, reaching out and pulling the small seven year old into her arms, cradling him in a way that could only be described as protective. "Kadaj...how are you feeling?"

The teen frowned, getting to his feet, "Fine...do you have a plan?" He asked, seeing her nod, taking the little boy to the couch and sitting him down there. She spoke gently to him, calmly, before standing and walking around the room. Looking for something, "We're getting out of here. He thinks because he has my weapons and shoves all these things at me that he can make me break. Well he has another thing coming." Her voice carried as she walked into the bathroom, seeing the wall length mirror and smiling darkly. They had not left anything in the room one might use as a weapon, but they had forgotten about the mirror. "He forgot one thing."

She reared back, slamming the reflective surface as hard as she could, the glass shattering in a hail of shards. It cut up her hand pretty badly, but she ignored it, grabbing a large piece to use as a weapon. "I can't go any deeper in hell if I'm already in its depths." Kadaj looked alarmed when he saw her come out of the bathroom, having been half way to it when he heard the glass breaking. "Gaia, are you crazy?!" He asked, but she moved past him, going to the door. "Maybe a little, but hey, who ever said being sane saved my life?" Striding to the door, she tested the handle, again it was locked. No surprise. But she investigated it a little more, it was wooden, unlike the one in the lab from before. Which meant they might be in an apartment of some kind. But more importantly this increased the likelihood they could bust down the door. "Alright Kadaj, I think we can bust it down if we ram this door together." Adeline backed up from it, getting ready to try, but paused. Looking at the teen, eyes serious, "I want you to promise me something."

Teal eyes narrowed suspiciously, "What...?" His jaw tightened, he didn't like the look in her eyes, like she was resigning herself to something. "No matter what happens...I want you to keep running, take..." She looked at the little boy on the couch, watching them quietly, hesitating on saying the only name that felt right. "Nyx with you. Promise me? That you will get out of here. Please Kadaj?!" She pleaded, seeing him shaking his head, "Kadaj, listen to me. I'll survive, Weiss isn't going to kill me, he's made that crystal clear. He needs me for something, so I...I need to get you two out of here. Then he won't have anything left to use against me."

Logically it sounded like a great idea, but Kadaj couldn't help feeling like this was going to back fire. None the less, he eventually agreed, helping her bust the door down. Picking up Nyx, the three made their escape, into what seemed some kind of dilapidated underground city.

____________________________________

_Several days later..._

They had been forced to abandon the WRO headquarters. After Azul had seemingly risen from the dead and tore the place apart, killing a large number of their forces before Deepground's own forces had come. Between Sephiroth and Vincent they had managed to at least take down a number of the enemy, but Azul had gotten away. On top of everything Dr. Shalua was now in a coma, though they had gained the good doctors sister, Shelke, as an ally. The whole situation was going from bad to worse, but at least now they had a location and a possible way into the enemy's base. Which turned out to be beneath the ruins of Midgar. The only way in was to traverse through the old Shin-Ra building.

Reeve's plan was to send Sephiroth and Vincent in as a team, let them get to the heart of the problem and take it out, cut of the head and the body follows so to speak. They would be coming in from the air, Cid had a whole fleet of airships for their use. On the ground Cloud and the others would lead part of the troops there, attacking from two places. It was a bold plan, taking on the army in their own base, but it was just crazy enough to work and at this point they were desperate.

Their situation was grim, much worse than they had at first thought. It turned out Weiss needed all those people to make a mass sacrifice, he seemed to think he could bring about the planets ultimate weapon, Omega. As far as they knew he intended to try and house the best in his own body in order to gain ultimate power. If it was true and his plan worked...Then they could not fail. The air was heavy among all of them, everyone was on edge.

Sephiroth was walking the halls of the  _Shera_ , dressed now in something a lot more fitting of him, it was a wonder Reeve had managed to find a coat so similar to his old one. And a sword he could actually wield comfortably. Shelke had been a wealth of much needed Intel on their foes, but she could not give him a good reason as to why Weiss needed Adeline or Kadaj. Apparently they had not told her all of their plans. None the less they had a way in. A limited window to manage to save the world and Adeline and Kadaj, but it was something. He could only hope nothing had happened to her...

* * *

Adeline ran as fast as her legs would carry her, she was leading a large group of Deepground Soldiers away from where she had left Kadaj. It had been the only way, the silverette had been very upset and Nyx had not been much better. Up tell then the boy had been fairly quiet, but had gotten emotional about her leaving them, crying about her always abandoning him. It had hurt hearing that. But she couldn't place where he had gotten such an idea.

The raven vaulted over some rubble, it was easier to move now, since she had cut off much of the end of her dress; Freeing her legs. She was still holding the glass shard, using it when needed, thought she limited it. It cut up her hand pretty deep when she put force on it to take out these soldiers. Glancing over her shoulder she saw they were falling back, wondering why, she looked around herself. But saw no real reason for it.

Slowing to a stop, she tried to figure out where she even was, maybe find a way out of there or to catch up to Kadaj. But it didn't seem likely, she was incredibly lost. Not that she knew where they really where in the first place. High above she could just make out the sounds of explosions and chaos, she could only assume the WRO had found the place. Only hope Vincent found Kadaj and Nyx...

The raven's body jerked, pain blooming in her shoulder before she even heard the crack of a rifle being fired. Gasping, a hand flying to the bleeding wound, the glass slipping from her fingers to shattered on the pavement. "Snipers? Seriously?!" She murmured, red eyes scanning the dilapidated buildings around them. Cursing, she began to run again, seeking cover. What she found was a cloud of shadows that sucked her in, her screams the only thing left in their wake.

__________________________________

Kadaj had no idea where they were, in some corridor, not even sure they were going the right way, he turned into an open doorway. Beside him Nyx was panting harshly, barely able to keep up if it were not for the elder silverette holding onto his hand. The teen knelt down by the boy, putting a gentle hand to his back, rubbing it. "Take deep breaths kid." He told him, noticing the way he seemed like he might faint, fearing he had pushed him too hard. "Relax for a few minutes, I think we'll be okay for now." He told him, letting him sit against the wall, standing up himself and looking around the dimly lite room.

Seeking and finding the light switch, the fluorescents flared to life over head. Kadaj almost chocked when he realized they were in that lab again, seeing the equipment and such. But his eyes landed on the body laying on the table and his heart felt as if it might break into a million pieces. Yazoo lay on its surface, skin paler than he had even seen, a strange machine like thing in his chest. The device made a soft sound, like humming or whirring.

The teen moved closer to his brothers body, swallowing hard on the emotions in his throat, reaching out to lay his hand on the elders arm. Teal eyes went wide, realizing the other was...warm?! Kadaj chocked, gently shaking the other, "Y-Yazoo?!" He whispered as loud as he dared, seeing the others chest rising and falling softly, he was breathing! He was alive! The teen jumped when the other moaned loudly, his eyes opening slowly. Their color was dark and clouded, the younger could tell he was not all there at least not right now. Gritting his teeth, Kadaj carefully forced the older silverette to sit up, putting his arm over his shoulder, eyes alight with determination. "Come on kid, we're getting the hell out of here!" Nyx nodded, his breathing was still unstable, but he seemed to be doing better. Together they made their way from the room, hopefully going the right way.

______________________________

Adeline stumbled from the darkness into a room alight with the glow of Mako, a throne sat across from her, upon it was Weiss. The whitette smiled at her, standing and striding over to her, she could see in his eyes he was going to hurt her. Even before he kicked her in the ribs and into a wall somewhere behind her, leaving her coughing and struggling to stand back up, "What's wrong...Weiss? Mad I...took away...all your...blackmail?" She asked with a smirk, looking at him through the strands of her hair that had fallen into her eyes, seeing the anger flash in his expression. "Did I...hit a nerve? Huh?"

He punched her, knocking her to the ground, but she only started laughing. Ignoring the pain, looking at him as he approached, "Oh, so tough hitting a girl! Ah!" He grabbed her by her hair, lifting her up to see her face, frowning deeply, "Why aren't you afraid of me anymore? I could kill you right here!" He shouted, flinging her toward the throne, her back slamming into it.

The raven struggled onto her hands, coughing up blood onto the floor, shaking her head of the fog developing there. "Why? Heh...heheh~ I've got nothing to lose Weiss...Everything I ever loved has only ever been ripped from me...my friends, my family..." She got to her feet, one arm holding herself against the pain, looking up at Weiss with a dare in her eyes. "Beat me. Crush me. Kill me if you want! I've got nothing left to live for!" She screamed at him before rushing him, she stood no chance, but she was not going to go down without some kind of fight. Even if it was a weak attempt at one.

Weiss smirked, wrapping his hand around her neck and lifting her into the air with a laugh. "Pity, I always loved watching the way you wreathed in pain on my exam table." He said, walking her to the throne, hanging her over the edge of a drop off behind it, mako flowing beneath her twenty feet down. She clawed at the hand nearly crushing her windpipe, eyes watering from the lack of air, "Wh-who are...you?" She chocked out, watching the other chuckle, hearing that madness in his voice. "What...you don't recognize me? Then again, how could you. Hmhmh~ It is I...Hojo!" He announced, smirking at the way her eyes widened in terror at last, "Didn't you think it was strange...how I knew all about your son? An undocumented event about his death, that only three people were privy to, two of which are dead and then yourself? That I conveniently had him with me here. You did not find it at all strange?" He laughed, throwing her into the room again, watching her tumble across the floor. "Then again you never were very smart. Just a foolish little girl who can't save anyone, let alone herself."

Nero cleared his throat, stepping forward, unable to watch this any longer. "Brother...is it not time? Or enemy's grow closer." He said stepping between Adeline and Weiss, the raven on the floor coughing and trying to get the air back she had been deprived of, peeking up at Nero and then at Weiss. The whitette nodded, smiling wide, he walked back to sit on his throne. "You are correct dear brother, please, won't you do the honors? Oh, and tie up our friend here, I want her to watch as I destroy this world."

_________________________________

Sephiroth had lost Vincent at some point, he had no doubt he would see him again, considering they were both headed for the reactor at the center of this under ground hell hole. They had encountered all manner of monsters there, it was like Hojo had just gone crazy in the lab and let everything loose in one place and then it all bred and created even worse monsters.

He was currently in a partially flooded area of what was no doubt a neighborhood at some point, fighting off some big guys with missile launchers. Dodging an another onslaught of their explosives, he lunged forward, killing one in a single fell blow and turning on the other before he could turn around to react. They both fell with a splash, death groans leaving them, the dirty water staining red. The silverette ran a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh of frustration, this whole thing felt hopeless.

He had no guarantee that Adeline or Kadaj was even in the direction he was heading and he was running out of time to search the entire underground city. Behind him he was distracted by something splashing toward him, whipping around with every intention of slicing it in half. It was a good thing he had fast reflex's, seeing a small child standing inches from the blade of his sword. It took him off guard, why the hell was there even a kid down...there...? "Your...eyes...could it...really be...?"

The child blinked at him, looking only mildly surprised by the sword, before turning his head. "It's safe!" He called out, his silver hair glimmering in the light that reflected off the surface of the flooded street. Sephiroth looked passed him, seeing none other than Kadaj come out of an alley, looking worse for wear dragging someone with him who looked mostly unaware of what was happening. Relief washed over him, meeting the teen halfway, realizing her was carrying Yazoo; But not bringing it up for the time being. He felt excitement, hope swell in him, looking hopefully past the pair. But didn't see anyone else, "Ah, Kadaj, It's good to see your safe. We don't have much time, where's Adeline?" He asked urgently, the excitement washing away into panic like ice in his veins. Kadaj was just staring at him, surprise on his face, before he shook his head. "She...she lead them...away...She made me promise...to get Nyx out of here...no matter what." He answered softly, heart sinking, feeling even worse for leaving her behind now. He had not expected to find Sephiroth there, in this place. He had not expected to ever meet him for that matter.

He saw the light leave Sephiroth's eyes a moment, before the elder nodded, turning to look at the small child now approaching them. "That...sounds like her. Then the boy is...?"

"Your son..." Kadaj answered, nodding to himself as he looked at the seven year old who indeed looked much like his father, he seemed to catch onto their conversation. He was an observant boy, "Your my father?" Nyx looked up at Sephiroth, expectant and full of wonder, blinking those large red eyes of his. The general knelt down, smiling gently, sorrow in his eyes mixed with joy and many other things. "That's right..." The boy tugged on his coat sleeve, looking like he might be about to cry, "Are you going to find Mommy? So we can be a real family?!" Nyx asked with fat little tears rolling down his face, looking up at Sephiroth with hope. "Of course I am...As soon as I find her we'll all go home together."

Nyx smiled a little, hugging the tall man, before going to stand by Kadaj. He gave Kadaj instructions on where the exit was, at least one of them, handing him his phone. He told him if he got lost who to call, that help would be able to locate and lead them out. Sephiroth watched them leave, before turning to go in search of Adeline, praying he would find her.

_________________________________

It was just her and a corpse, sitting slumped over on its throne like a doll. Nero had killed Weiss, tied her up and left them there like this. She couldn't helping wishing she had killed that reincarnated psycho herself, but in a weird way she felt bad for Nero. The guy had looked absolutely heart broken while doing the deed, he really had loved his brother. The raven chuckled softly in the silence, the gentle whirr of the reactor the only other sound, "Y'know...I think your the fool Hojo. All this mayhem cause you think you can just take control of some all powerful being...Any being in its right mind would head for the hills if it saw you."

She heard something beyond the doors to the room, looking to her right as they opened near her, she watched Vincent and Yuffie enter the room. Vaguely she wondered why Yuffie was even there. Vincent looked confused, staring in disbelief at the corpse, Yuffie moving closer to it. "I thought you'd never make it Vince...Eheheh~ You missed all the fun." Adeline smarted off, getting the older raven's attention, he looked over at her with wide eyes. She could only imagine that she must look a complete mess. "Are you alright-Huh?!"

In the pit behind the throne the mako began to bubble suddenly, the whirr turning to a roar, a flash, followed by a shockwave. Vincent moved to save Yuffie, yelling for her to move. Adeline gasped at the impact, slamming her head pretty hard on the wall and blacking out. It was some time before she came to, when she did she saw Weiss, up and moving to her utter shock. He was fighting some kind of creature that Adeline could only guess was Vincent. She groaned softly, her head was killing her.

"...You need to...get...out of here..." She heard a familiar voice saw, looking over she saw Nero, a badly beaten Nero at least. He was untying her, struggling a bit to stay focused, no doubt from the injuries. Once the ropes were removed he collapsed on the floor, hardly breathing, "Gaia! Nero...I...Why...?" She asked, leaning over him, a horrible feeling washing over her as she watched the shadows coming off him.

"Because...I...I failed to keep my promise...And I am sorry...Weiss...he used to be...such a good person..." He told her, closing his eyes, laying there. "I don't blame you...He's your family. I'd have done the same if it had been mine." She replied, taking his hand, griping it in hers. "Try to hold on Nero, I'm going to get you out of here. Nero?!" Slowly the shadows consumed him, his body seemly evaporating into nothing. The raven grit her teeth, the fight behind her slowing. She noticed one of Nero's guns was laying on the floor near by and picked it up, looking at it a moment, before letting out a yell. She got to her feet, marching past Vincent, firing off one shot after another into Weiss. "GO BACK TO HELL WHERE YOU BELONG YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Weiss staggered farther and farther back with each hit, toward the mako pit, stopping at the edge. Adeline had run out of bullets, growling at the gun, she tossed it aside. Marching toward the whitette, she stopped in front of him, staring up at him. "I almost feel sorry for you. I can only imagine what your life must have been like to make you so cruel...to hurt and destroy so many."

She felt so calm now, like everything that had been eating away at her all these years was...finally over. She could grieve properly and move on. It was okay now, at long last. She could take her vengeance and be at peace. With a gentle shove, Weiss fell backward and Adeline turned to grin at the creature  that Vincent was now, "It's finally over, y'know what sounds fun?! I drinking contest! What do y-?!" She was cut off by something latching on to her ankle, causing her to lose her balance.

She cried out, reaching out to Vincent, seeing the creature coming toward her to try and save her...he was inches too late and could only watch her fall with Weiss into the mako below. The reactor began to rumble and shake...

____________________________________________

From the edges of Midgar, Cloud and the others could only watch as Omega came into being with nightmarish force, letting out a massive roar as he ascended into the sky. All their hopes lied with Vincent, where ever he was. 

They watched all night it seemed, it was not twenty-minutes till dawn that Omega seemed to literally explode, leaving a skeletal like form of itself stuck in the sky. "Vincent...Vincent...?" Yuffie was speaking softly to herself, searching the sky, assuming it must have been Vincent who stopped the creature, but where was he? As the sun began to rise, everyone there was startled to see two beings falling from the sky. One was some sort of demon, Chaos, one of Vincent's other forms. The other appeared to be Adeline and as far as anyone on the ground could tell she was unconscious, Vincent diving to try and catch her before they reached the ground.

Kadaj's breath caught in his throat, where the hell was Sephiroth?! Beside him Yazoo was still out of it, Loz had shown up, apparently having been running around as one of the WRO because he was afraid of them knowing who he was. Loz sat beside Yazoo, still crying about the fact he was alive. Nyx was sitting on the ground with his knees pulled to his chest, not sure what to do and afraid to talk to anyone. The small boy looked to the sky, noticing everyone seemed to be waiting for something, his tiny heart sank when he saw his mother falling. "Mommy?! Mommy!" The boy cried, moving to run past everyone, but Kadaj grabbed the boy who began to struggle in his grasp. "Hey! Hey, calm down! There's nothing we can do!" The teen tried to tell him, struggling to hold on to him. For his size he was incredibly strong.

Kadaj cursed, continuing to try and gain control, the child reaching out in vain for his mother. The older silverette was shocked when little wings erupted from the boy, small and white, flapping wildly. But he stilled, seeing a third shape moving toward the sky, single black wing spread wide. The teen's heart leapt, at first he thought it was Sephiroth, but the person flying toward Adeline was clearly wearing red and their hair was short. Somewhere behind him mumbles erupted among those watching, all the questions asked the same. 'Who was that?' and 'Where was Sephiroth?'

_________________________________________________________

Adeline felt the wind rushing past her, the fog lifting from her mind, the ache not leaving her body. Crimson eyes fluttered, looking up at the sky that was alight with morning glow, seeing that creature trying to reach for her, screaming her name. His voice was almost lost over the rush of air and the raven girl realized suddenly what was happening. She was falling! Vincent was not going to be able to reach her, she was falling too fast.

Somehow, she wasn't scared. Just sad, because she never got to tell the boys good bye. Never got to tell her son she loved him. Sure she had been willing to let Weiss kill her only hours before, but she had been running on adrenaline and crazy. Now? Now she was clear minded and able to think. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself, for that moment, to feel at peace. Feel the nothingness of the wind and the light of the sun warming her. In her mind she thought of her friends, the ones she had lost. Of Marree and her parents. Sephiroth's gentle smile.

'Their all waiting for me. Right?'

"Not today!" A male voice yelled, coming up fast behind her, strong arms catching her bridal style. Her eyes shot open, looking up at the face of the one who had rescued her, heart skidding to a stop as if she had in fact hit the ground. Adeline looked as if she had seen a ghost, in a good way. "Genesis?! Y-Your alive?!"

"Aw, did you miss me that much? When the war of the beast-" He started with a smirk, before he was cut off by a tight hug, the raven in his arms bursting into hysterical laughter. He couldn't help wondering if she had lost her mind at some point, but he was glad she was okay and safe now. Together with Chaos, they drifted to meet everyone on the ground. Adeline slipped to her feet, still grinning, she turned to see Kadaj and Loz running toward her, Nyx in Kadaj's arms. Before she could speak she had her arms full of the three silverette's, all of them laughing and crying.

The demonic creature morphed back into a tired looking Vincent, who let out a sigh, looking at the red headed stranger. "Thank you for your help...I'm afraid I might have failed if it had not been for your assistance." The red head shrugged, smirking, "Yes well, I didn't do it for you. I made a promise years ago to keep Adeline alive. I was not about to break that promise today. Besides, she my friend."

Cloud and Tifa approached, Reeve close behind, the blonde stared wide eyed a moment at Genesis. Just as dumbfounded as Adeline had looked. Reeve approached Vincent, "Where is Sephiroth? He wasn't with you?" The taller raven frowned deeply, "No, I lost track of him in the city underground. I assumed he must have headed back out..."

Reeve made a face, looking toward the remains of Midgar that were precariously swaying, they would collapse at any moment into the underground cavern now that their structure was compromised. "He wouldn't have left without..." They all turned to look at Adeline, who sat on the ground hold a small boy in her arms, preoccupied with his little wings and not listening to the crowd.

Nyx sat in his mother's lap, playing with a length of her black hair, humming softly. "Mommy are we all going home together?" He asked, looking up at her, seeing her smile and thinking she looked really pretty when she smiled. "Of course we are! Heh~ We're going to need to build a room onto the house for you my little angel!" She replied, hugging the boy close a moment, feeling at last happy. "But what about Daddy?" He asked, looking at her hopefully, not seeing the way that question made her sad. "Nyx...your daddy...he...well he..."

  
"He said we would all go home together! He said he would find you! Right?!" The small boy insisted, looking at Kadaj, who looked away. He had not wanted to say anything, especially when he noticed himself that Sephiroth had not shown up. He could only assume the worst and he didn't want to tell Adeline, knowing she would not take the news well. "Kadaj...what's he talking about...I can see it in your face. You know something, now tell me!" She didn't mean to raise her voice, but she couldn't help feeling like she was missing something important, heart sinking. The raven looked around, seeing the way everyone was looking away, no one was meeting her eyes. Even Genesis refused to meet her gaze.

Slowly she stood, setting down her son, "Mommy...what's wrong...?" She didn't hear him, her hands shook and she turned on Reeve. Anger flaring when he took a step back, "Reeve...What's going on? Tell me the truth or so help me..."

"I'm...sorry Adeline...But...well...A week ago Sephiroth showed up at the WRO, right after you were kidnapped...We didn't know how to find you so he came here with us and...well he went into Deepground with Vincent...." He trailed off, looking to the marksman, who looked her in the eye. "We got separated. I don't know where he is Adeline, just relax, I am certain he will show up soon. He is stro-" The elder man was cut off by a rumbling sound, everyone turned to see the remains of Midgar begin to collapse into the cavern below.

And when the dust settled, silence again falling over the group, Adeline just stood there. Staring at the rubble, no emotions apparent on her face, she just stared. "Adeline...are you...okay?" Genesis asked carefully, reaching out to place a hand on her arm, surprised at the smile she gave him. But the expression was hollow, her eyes betraying her sorrow, "I'm fine Gen. Just tired is all..."

The red head frowned deeply at her answer, watching her turn from them and walk toward the rubble. She sat down on a section of what looked like wall of some kind, hands on her knees, still smiling. Tears cascaded gently down her face, Kadaj and Loz stood, walking over and sitting on either side of her. Loz helped little Nyx up so he could climb into his mothers lap, curling up there, reaching his tiny hand up to wipe a tear from her face. "Don't be sad mommy...Daddy said he would come back..."

Adeline lay a gentle hand on his head, stroking his hair in a soothing way, "Yeah...he promised...right?!" Her voice broke on the last word, curling up a little and holding her son close, sobbing softly. Kadaj and Loz both hugged her, staring out at the rubble.

Behind her Reeve was yelling orders at the able bodied, they were starting a search and rescue, looking for anyone left alive. Hoping to recover those lost. Leaving the silverette's and Adeline alone, deciding it was likely for the best. The sun cast its light over the remains of the battlefield, washing away the shadows.

It was probably around noon that Cloud approached them, smiling softly, he came around so he could see Adeline's face. "I think we found something of yours. It's waiting at the medical tents we set up near by." He said, seeing the confusion on her face, she took his hand. "Cloud I'm not in the mood for this..." She told him, but none the less let him lead her. Kadaj carried Nyx, Loz close behind them. At the tents, of which there seemed to be hundreds, Cloud lead her up to one of the open air medical relief areas. There were lots of people sitting around, covered in bandages or waiting for assistance.

Cloud stopped probably ten feet from a table, someone sitting atop it with their back to them, talking to Genesis. The person had his right arm in a sling, having appeared to have broken it. Adeline took a slow step forward, hands on her lips, heart pounding. Seeing the familiar long silver hair, the pale skin..."Se...Sephiroth...?" Her voice was horse from crying, eyes beginning to water as the person turned to look and see who had called their name. A smile on his pale lips, he slipped from the table, holding out his good arm. They met halfway, Sephiroth pulling her into a one arm hug and swinging her around, both of them laughing with the purest joy.

____________________________________________________

  _Three days later..._

Everyone was at  _Sevenith Heaven_ , drinking and laughing, music pounding through the air. The room was high with joy and relief. Adeline danced in a small circle with some of her friends, Nyx holding her hands as they laughed together and danced a bit. She was happier than she could ever remember. She finally had everything she ever wanted. Sephiroth crossed the room, having been catching up with Genesis and Cloud. He leaned into the raven's ear, smiling softly, "Someone is awake and ready for visitors." He told her over the music, seeing the light in her eyes brought him so much joy, taking one of her hands, he could almost pretend for a moment or two that none of this mess had ever happened and they had never been apart. The three of them left the building, outside a car waited for them, Reno standing beside it.

It wasn't far to the hospital, Kadaj and Loz were already there, waiting. When they arrived on the fourth floor, in the small, private room, they were greeted by smiles. Yazoo was at last awake fully, it turned out he had been heavily dosed with Mako and was under a terrible fever when Kadaj had found him in Deepground. He was lucky to be alive at all, what with the shot to the chest and everything else. The machine attached to him was, well no one really knew yet, they did know it couldn't be removed without hurting him. The wires of it were tangled up in his internal organs and such. So for now he was stuck with it. Thankfully it was not very large or bulky so it wouldn't hinder him too much, they hoped.

Adeline shouted when she say the middle brother, rushing over to take his hands, "I thought you died! Oh, Gaia I'm so glad your okay!" The raven told him, hearing him laugh softly, it was such a relief. The silver haired marksmen looked past her, seeing, no doubt, Sephiroth and Nyx. He smiled, before looking at her, "I knew he would keep his promise."

The raven chuckled, nodding and wiping away the happy tears in her eyes, she motioned the two over. "He did. And would you believe I found something else during all that mess?" She told him, picking her son up and setting him on the edge of the bed, tucking some hair behind her ear and smiling lovingly at him. "Yazoo, this is Nyx, my son. Angel I want you to meet your uncle Yazoo."

The boy smiled wide, "We have a really big family, huh?" He asked, kicking his feet. "That's right and perhaps one day it will be even bigger." Sephiroth replied, ruffling the boys hair and smirking at Adeline, seeing her blush deeply at that. "Behave..." She looked away, rubbing her arm. Clearing her throat, "So the doctors think you can go home soon, its going to be hectic at home for a while though, seeing as we need to expand the house."

They talked for hours, well into the morning. Blissfully unaware of the danger they would soon be in...

* * *

 

 

 


End file.
